


The De-Aged Doctor and the Red Pyramid

by Whovian101



Series: The De-Aged Doctor in the Rick Riordan Universe [11]
Category: Doctor Who, The Kane Chronicles - Rick Riordan
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-02
Updated: 2021-01-24
Packaged: 2021-03-07 16:27:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 36
Words: 101,235
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26770648
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Whovian101/pseuds/Whovian101
Summary: The Doctor joins Sadie and Carter Kane on their quest to figure out the kids' family secrets, and more importantly, stop Set, the god of Chaos from destroying the planet.
Series: The De-Aged Doctor in the Rick Riordan Universe [11]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1719679
Comments: 153
Kudos: 30





	1. After-Hours

The Doctor opened the TARDIS door only to find himself back in London. Lovely. More specifically, he was at the British Museum. But it was closed, completely dark. After hours.

“Why’d you take me here?” He murmured, running his hand down the edge of the TARDIS.

He then noticed the curator and two security guards, waiting on the front steps of the museum. Three figures were making their way towards the steps – one man and two children, a boy and a girl.

“Dr. Kane!” The curator was a small man in a cheap suit with crooked teeth and a small wisp of white hair. He shook the man’s hand enthusiastically. “Your last paper on Imhotep – brilliant! I don’t know how you translated those spells!”

“Im-ho-who?” The girl asked the boy.

“Imhotep,” The boy had an American accent. “High priest, architect. Some say he was a magician. Designed the first step pyramid. You know.”

“Don’t know,” The girl said. “Don’t care. But thanks.”

Dr. Kane placed a hand on the boy’s shoulder. “Dr. Martin, I’d like you to meet Carter and Sadie.” He also had an American accent. It made the Doctor wonder why Sadie didn’t.

“Ah!” The curator, Dr. Martin said, “Your son, obviously, and –” The curator looked hesitantly at the girl. “And this young lady?”

“My daughter,” Dr. Kane said.

Dr. Martin’s stare went blank for a moment. He then regained his smile. “Yes, yes, of course. Right this way, Dr. Kane. We’re very honoured!”

As they made their way inside, the Doctor strided over. 

“Sir, the museum is closed –” One of the security guards tried.

“Health and safety.” The Doctor said swiftly, flashing him the psychic paper.

As he made his way in, he could hear the security guards lock the door behind them. 

The Doctor slipped off into the corner as the security guards went to take the family’s luggage. Now that they were in the light, the Doctor could see the family better. Dr. Kane had deep brown skin and piercing brown eyes. He sported a goatee and a shaved head. He was wearing a sharp simple black suit.

The boy, Carter, looked to be about fourteen and was dressed quite simply in a simple dress shirt and khakis. He had dark brown skin, just a few shades lighter than his father, the same piercing brown eyes, and short brown hair.

The girl, Sadie, was the same height as Carter, but that’s just about where the similarities ended. She looked a couple years younger than him, and her skin was significantly lighter. She had straight caramel-coloured hair with dyed red streaks down the left side. Her eyes were a vibrant blue colour and she was chewing gum. She was dressed in battered jeans, a leather jacket, and combat boots with headphones that dangled around her neck.

The security guard tried to take Dr. Kane’s workbag.

“Ah, no.” Dr. Kane said with a tight smile. “I’ll keep this one.”

The guards stayed in the foyer as the Doctor followed the curator and the family into the Great Court. Dim light from the glass-domed ceiling cast crosshatched shadows across the walls. Footsteps clicked on the white marble floor.

“So,” Dr. Kane said, “The stone.”

“Yes!” The curator said. “Though I can’t imagine what new information you could glean from it. It’s been studied to death – our most famous artifact, of course.”

“Of course,” Dr. Kane said. “But you may be surprised.”

“What’s he on about now?” Sadie whispered to Carter.

Carter didn’t answer, but the look on his face told the Doctor he had a sneaking suspicion.

They turned left into the Egyptian wing. The walls were lined with massive statues of pharaohs and gods, but Dr. Kane bypassed all of them and went directly for the statue in the middle of the room.

“Beautiful.” Dr. Kane murmured. The Doctor had to agree. They were staring at a slab of dark gray rock about a meter tall and a half meter wide. It sat on a pedestal, encased in a glass box. The flat surface of stone was chiseled with three distinct bands of writing. The top bit had Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics, the middle had Demotic – writing from the period when the Greeks controlled Egypt and the two languages got mixed together. The last lines were in Greek. It was the Rosetta Stone.

“And it’s not a replica?” Dr. Kane asked.

“No, no,” The curator promised. “We don’t always keep the actual stone on display, but for you – this is quite real.”

“The Rosetta Stone,” Carter identified.

“Isn’t that a computer program?” Sadie asked.

She wasn’t wrong.

The curator gave a nervous laugh. “Young lady, the Rosetta Stone was the key to deciphering hieroglyphics! It was discovered by Napoleon’s army in 1799 and –”

“Oh, right,” Sadie said. “I remember now.”

It was very clear from the tone of her voice that she neither knew nor cared.

“Sadie,” Dr. Kane said, “Until this stone was discovered, regular mortals…er, I mean, no one had been able to read hieroglyphics for centuries.” The Doctor nearly walked out right then. If he had to deal with one more Greek god… “The written language of Egypt had been completely forgotten. Then an Englishman named Thomas Young proved that the Rosetta Stone’s three languages all conveyed the same message. A Frenchman named Champollion took up the work and cracked the code of hieroglyphics.” Sadie chewed her gum, looking unimpressed.

“What’s it say, then?”

Dr. Kane shrugged. “Nothing important. It’s basically a thank you letter from some priests to King Ptolemy V. When it was first carved, the stone was no big deal. But over the centuries…Over the centuries it has become a powerful symbol. Perhaps the most important connection between Ancient Egypt and the modern world. I was a fool not to realize its potential sooner.”

“Dr. Kane?” The curator asked, looking somewhat confused, “Are you quite all right?”

Dr. Kane breathed deeply. “My apologies, Dr. Martin. I was just…thinking aloud. If I could have the glass removed? And if you could bring me the papers I asked for from your archives.” Dr. Martin nodded. He pressed a code into a small remote control, and the front of the glass box clicked open.

“It will take a few minutes to retrieve the notes,” Dr. Martin said. “For anyone else, I would hesitate to grant unguarded access to the stone, as you’ve requested. I trust you’ll be careful.” He glanced at the children nervously.

“We’ll be careful.” Dr. Kane promised.

As soon as Dr. Martin’s steps receded, Dr. Kane turned on his children with a frantic look in his eyes. “Children, this is very important. You have to stay out of this room.”

He slipped his workbag off his shoulder and unzipped it just enough to pull out a bike chain and padlock. “Follow Dr. Martin. You’ll find his office at the end of the Great Court on the left. There’s only one entrance. Once he’s inside, wrap this around the door handles and lock it tight. We need to delay him.”

“You want us to lock him in?” Sadie asked, suddenly interested. “Brilliant!”

“Dad,” Carter said, “What’s going on?”

“We don’t have time for explanations,” Dr. Kane said. “This will be our only chance. They’re coming.”

“Who’s coming?” Sadie asked.

Things were getting really interesting now.

Dr. Kane took Sadie by the shoulders. “Sweetheart, I love you. And I’m sorry…I’m sorry for many things, but there’s no time now. If this works, I promise I’ll make everything better for all of us. Carter, you’re my brave man. You have to trust me. Remember, lock up Dr. Martin. Then stay out of this room!”

As fascinated by whatever was happening in that room as he was, the Doctor decided to follow Sadie and Carter.

“So, you father seems an interesting chap.” The Doctor hummed as Carter and Sadie chained up the door.

“What?” Both children spun around, Sadie looking as if she was about to smack whoever had just appeared behind her.

“Who are you?” Carter, clearly the more rational of the two, asked.

“I’m the Doctor.”

“The Doctor?” Sadie said doubtfully. “Sure. Whatever. What are you doing here?” Sadie demanded.

“Maybe I work here.” The Doctor tried.

“Right, and I would believe that a fifteen year old kid would work here because…”

“Seventeen!” The Doctor cried, before saying a bit calmer, “The body is seventeen. Not fifteen.”

“Did you seriously just refer to yourself as ‘the body’?” Sadie asked.

“Um, fifteen or seventeen, it doesn’t matter.” Carter said uncomfortably. “You’re too young to work here.”

“And what if I were to tell you I was nine hundred years old and perfectly old enough to work here, thank you very much?”

“I’d tell you you’re mad.” Sadie said.

The Doctor nodded approvingly. “It’s been said.”

Carter's eyes suddenly fixed on a spot past the Doctor. The Doctor spun around the way they’d come only to see a blue light streaming from the Egyptian gallery.

“Honestly, do you have any idea what he’s up to?” Sadie asked Carter.

“None,” Carter said. “But he’s been acting strange lately. Thinking a lot about…” He glanced at the Doctor nervously, then mouthed,  _ Mom _ . “He keeps her picture…”

Sadie raised an eyebrow, looking from Carter to the Doctor then back again.

“He’s mad, Carter, not an idiot.”

“What about that workbag of his?” The Doctor asked. “Have you any clue what’s in there?”

“I don’t know,” Carter said, watching the Doctor suspiciously. “He never told me to look.”

Sadie raised her eyebrow again “And you never did? That is so like you, Carter. You’re hopeless.”

A tremor shook the floor. 

“So, you coming or what?” The Doctor asked.

Sadie gave a mad grin and bolted down the hall so fast the Doctor struggled to catch up. He could hear Carter’s footsteps, racing along behind them.

When the Doctor caught up with Sadie, she had stopped dead in her tracks. Dr. Kane was stood in front of the Rosetta Stone with his backs to them. A blue circle glowed unnaturally on the floor around him.

Dr. Kane had thrown off his overcoat. His workbag lay open at his feet, revealing a wooden box about two feet long, painted with Egyptian images.

“What’s he holding?” Sadie whispered. “Is that a boomerang?”

In his hand, Dr. Kane brandished a curve white stick. It wasn’t a boomerang.

Dr. Kane touched it to the Rosetta Stone and began to write. Wherever he made contact, glowing blue lines appeared on the granite. Hieroglyphs.

“Open,” The Doctor translated for them as he wrote.

Carter stared at him. “You can read those?”

“Well I wouldn’t be a very good employee if I couldn’t read them.” The Doctor shrugged.

“I still don’t believe you work here.” Sadie grumbled.

Recognition dawned on Carter as his father continued to write.

“Wo-seer,” He whispered. “Osiris.”

“Osiris, come,” Sadie read, as if in a trance. Then, her eyes widened. “No!” She shouted. “Dad, no!”

Her father turned in surprise. He started to say, “Children –” But it was too late. The ground rumbled. The blue light turned to searing white, and the Rosetta Stone exploded.

The Doctor opened his eyes with a groan, and the first thing he heard was laughter – a horrible, gleeful laughter mixed with the blare of the museum’s security alarms.

He pushed himself off the ground. The gallery was in ruins. Waves of fire rippled in pools along the floor. Massive statues had toppled, sarcophagi had been knocked off their pedestals, pieces of the Rosetta Stone had exploded outwards with such force that they’d embedded themselves in the columns, the walls, and the other exhibits.

Sadie and Carter were unconscious beside him.

Carter was waking up as well.

“You ‘right?” The Doctor murmured quietly.

“Uh,” It took him a second to process everything. “I think so.”

The Doctor moved on to Sadie, who was still unconscious. He shook her shoulder and she grunted.

“Ugh.”

Before them, where the Rosetta Stone had once been, stood a smoking sheared-off pedestal. The floor was blackened in a starburst pattern, except for the glowing blue circle around Dr. Kane.

He was facing their direction, but he wasn’t looking at either the Doctor nor his own children. A bloody cut ran across his scalp.

At first, the Doctor couldn’t quite tell what he was looking at. Then the laughter echoed around the room again and he realized it was coming from a spot right between himself and Dr. Kane.

As he concentrated, a form came into focus – the fiery outline of some sort of humanoid.

“Well done,” He addressed Dr. Kane. “Very well done, Julius.”

“You were not summoned!” Dr. Kane’s voice tumbled. He held up the white stick, but the fiery humanoid flicked one finger, and the stick flew from his hands, shattering against the wall.

“I am never summoned, Julius,” The creature purred. “But when you open a door, you must be prepared for guests to walk through.”

“Back to the Duat!” Dr. Kane roared. “I have the power of the Great King!”

“Oh, scary,” The creature said with amusement. “And even if you knew how to use that power, which you do not, he was never my match. I am the strongest. Now you will share his fate.”

Dr. Kane’s eyes suddenly met the Doctor’s. They sent a very clear message:  _ Get them out. _

The Doctor nodded. This whole time, Dr. Kane had been keeping the fiery creature’s back to them, hoping that his children would escape unnoticed.

The Doctor got to his feet as quietly as he could, grabbing Sadie under her armpits and dragging her behind a column and into the shadows, Carter trailing behind, clamping a hand over his sister’s mouth when she began to protest. That woke her up. She saw what was happening and stopped fighting.

Alarms blared. Fire circled around the doorways of the gallery.

“The guards have to be on their way, right?” Carter whispered so quietly the Doctor could barely hear him.

The Doctor gave him an apologetic look but didn’t say anything.

Dr. Kane crouched to the floor, keeping his eyes on the creature, and opened his painted wooden box. He brought out a small rod and muttered something under his breath. The rod elongated into a wooden staff nearly as tall as he was.

Sadie made a squeaking sound and Carter looked like he was about to faint.

Dr. Kane then threw his staff at the fiery creature’s feet and it changed into a massive serpent – three meters long and about as big around as the Doctor (which admittedly wasn’t saying much at the moment). The serpent had coppery scales and glowing red eyes, it lunged at the creature, who effortlessly grabbed it by the neck. The creature’s hand burst into white-hot flames and burned the serpent to ash.

“An old trick, Julius,” He chided.

Dr. Kane glanced at the Doctor again, urging him to run…that was strange. He wasn’t looking at his children. He kept looking at the Doctor…and not in distrust.

In the corner of his eye, the Doctor could see Sadie pick up a chunk of stone.

“How many?” Dr. Kane asked quickly, trying to keep the creature’s attention. “How many did I release?”

“Why, all five,” The creature said, as if explaining it to a young child. “You should know we’re a package deal, Julius. Soon I’ll release even more, and they’ll be very grateful. I shall be named king again.”

“The Demon Days,” Dr. Kane said. “They’ll stop you before it’s too late.”

The fiery creature laughed. “You think the House can stop me? Those old fools can’t even stop arguing among themselves. Now let the story be told anew. And this time you shall never rise!” He waved his hand and the blue circle at Dr. Kane’s feet went dark. The man grabbed for his toolbox, but it skittered across the floor.

“Goodbye, Osiris,” The fiery creature said. With another flick of his hand, he conjured a glowing coffin around Dr. Kane. At first, it was transparent, but as the man struggled and pounded on its sides, the coffin became more and more solid – a golden Egyptian sarcophagus inlaid with jewels. Dr. Kane caught the Doctor’s eye one last time and mouthed the word  _ Go! _ Before the coffin sank into the floor.

“Dad!” Carter screamed.

Sadie threw her stone, but it sailed harmlessly through the fiery creature’s head.

He turned, and for a moment, the Doctor could see two different faces layered atop each other – one almost human with pale skin, cruel, angular features, and glowing red eyes, the other like an animal with dark fur and sharp fangs.

Behind him, the Doctor could hear heavy footsteps echoing on the marble floor of the Great Court. Voices barking orders.

The fiery man lunged. The Doctor grabbed Sadie and pulled her away, just as she would’ve been incinerated.

He then changed course and lunged at Carter.

“No!” The Doctor shouted, but just as he reached the boy’s face, something shoved the creature backwards and the air sparked with electricity.

Carter’s hand jumped to an amulet on his chest – an Egyptian Amulet, engraved with the Eye of Horus.

The fiery creature hissed, regarding the boy more carefully. “So…it’s you.” The building shook again. At the opposite end of the room, part of the wall exploded in a brilliant flash of light. Two people stepped through the gap – a man and a girl, robes swinging around them, both holding staffs.

The fiery man snarled. He looked at Carter one last time and said, “Soon, boy.” Then the entire room erupted in flames, shrapnel flying around.

The man and the girl were suddenly standing over the three children. 

“We must act quickly,” She was saying over the noise, drawing a long curved knife from her belt.

“Not yet,” He’d replied with some reluctance and a thick French accent. “We must be sure before we destroy them.”

That wasn’t good. But before the Doctor could say anything, something hard hit the back of his head and everything went black.


	2. The Police Inspector

When the Doctor opened his eyes, the police were rushing about as one might expect. He managed to slip out without much notice, but followed the police in a cab to Sadie’s house. He climbed in through the window to the bedroom where Sadie was sitting. She had just tossed her iPod across her bed and was fiddling with an amulet around her neck. On it was engraved a symbol resembling an ankh with its arms curved dowards. It was a tyet.

“Interesting amulet.”

Sadie jumped violently and very nearly knocked the Doctor out of the window.

“What the _bloody hell_ do you think you're doing?”

The Doctor shrugged, climbing the rest of the way through the window.

“What’s that amulet, then?”

Sadie hesitated, scowling at the Doctor. “My dad gave it to me.”

“Oh.” The Doctor walked around the room a bit. “So you live with your mum?”

“No.” Sadie said. Her voice was a mix of anger and sorrow. “I live with my Gran and Gramps.”

“Oh,” The Doctor looked apologetically at Sadie, “Is she…?”

“Yeah.” Sadie admitted. “But it was a long time ago.”

“Do you know what happened?”

Sadie hesitated, before finally saying, “No, Dad never told us.”

“What was she like?”

“I don’t know.” Sadie snapped. Then, a bit softer, “Again, it was a long time ago.”

She stood up and made her way to her desk and opened the drawer. She shoved aside a few old magazines, a stash of sweets, a stack of maths homework, and a few photos of what looked to be Sadie and some of her mates, when she pulled out a photo of a woman.

“Gran and Gramps have loads of pictures of her.” Sadie said. “They keep a shrine to her in the hall cupboard – her childhood artwork, her O-level results, her graduation picture from university, her favorite jewelry…I think it’s a bit mental. I don’t want to live in the past like them.”

She sat back down on the bed, looking tired. “But I did keep one picture.”

The Doctor looked at the photo. It was the picture of a beautiful woman with fair skin, long caramel hair, and deep blue eyes. She was wearing shorts and a tattered T-shirt with her hair clipped back. She was standing on a balcony, ocean behind her, holding a small baby.

On her T-shirt, was the symbol of an ankh.

“I know, a dead woman wearing the symbol of life.” Sadie sighed. “Ironic.”

She then frowned.

“What is it?” The Doctor asked.

“Nothing, nothing.” Sadie murmured. “Just, there was this guy Dad had been arguing with this morning…Something he’d said…”

The Doctor heard footsteps and jumped back out the window, gripping hold of the frame so as not to fall.

The bedroom door opened and a deep voice said, “What are you doing?” 

“Sitting on my bed.” Sadie said flatly.

“Now then, Sadie,” The voice said cautiously. “I’m Chief Inspector Williams. Let’s have a chat, shall we? Sit down.”

From through the window, the Doctor observed as Sadie, indeed, did not sit. Neither did Inspector Williams who, due to the low ceiling, was forced to stoop down. 

“Tell me everything, please,” Inspector Williams said. “From the time your father came round to get you.”

“I already told the police at the museum.”

“Again, if you don’t mind.”

Sadie sighed. “Carter came to the door to take me back to the car. Dad was arguing with some bloke in a trench coat at the time. I ran up and hugged him, and we went on our way.”

Inspector Williams nodded along with her.

“Dad took us to Cleopatra’s Needle for a few minutes, and then he took us to the museum.”

She continued from there to explain what had happened at the museum, she glanced towards the Doctor every time she mentioned ‘the kid who said he was a doctor.’

Inspector William’s left eyebrow crept higher and higher as she explained the mad bits like the glowing letters and serpent staff.

“Well, Sadie,” Inspector Williams said, “You’ve got quite an imagination.”

The Doctor rolled his eyes, the number of times he had heard people say that…

“I’m not lying, Inspector. And I think your eyebrow is trying to escape.”

Inspector Williams tried to look at his own eyebrows, then scowled. “Now, Sadie, I’m sure this is very hard on you. I understand you want to protect your father’s reputation. But he’s gone now –”  
“You mean through the floor in a coffin,” Sadie insisted. “He’s not dead.”

Inspector Williams spread his hands. “Sadie, I’m very sorry. But we must find out why he did this act of…well…”

“Act of what?”

He cleared his throat uncomfortably. “Your father destroyed priceless artifacts and apparently killed himself in the process. We’d very much like to know why.”

Sadie stared at him. “Are you saying my father’s a terrorist? Are you mad?”

“We’ve made some calls to some of your father’s associates. I understand his behavior had become erratic since your mother’s death. He’d become withdrawn and obsessive in his studies, spending more and more time in Egypt –”

“He’s a bloody Egyptologist!” Sadie cried. “You should be looking for him, not asking stupid questions!”

“Sadie,” Inspector Williams said, sounding increasingly frustrated. “There are extremist groups in Egypt that object to Egyptian artifacts being kept in other countries’ museums. These people might have approached your father. Perhaps in his state, your father became an easy target for them. If you’ve heard him mention any names –”

Sadie’s eyes drifted towards the Doctor, then down at the ground. For a moment, there was shock, then she turned back at the inspector.

The Doctor glanced behind him. Down on the ground, by a dead tree under the dim light of a streetlamp, was a stout man in a black trench coat, round glasses, and a fedora.

“Sadie, no one blames you for the attack on the museum.” Inspector Willaims said. “We understand you were dragged into this against your will.” 

“Against my will?” Sadie said blandly. “I chained the curator in his office.”

The inspector’s eyebrow started to creep up again. “Be that as it may, surely you didn’t understand what your father meant to do. Possibly your brother was involved?”

Sadie snorted. “Carter? Please.”

“So you are determined to protect him as well. You consider him a proper brother, do you?”

Sadie stared at the man, looking like she wanted to slap him across the face. “What’s that supposed to mean?” She demanded. “Because he doesn’t look like me?”

The inspector blinked. “I only meant –”

“I know what you meant.” Sadie snapped. “Of course he’s my brother!”

Inspector Willaims held up his hands apologetically, but Sadie was seething.

“I’m sorry, Sadie,” The inspector said. “I only want to make sure we separate the innocent from the guilty. It will go much easier for everyone if you cooperate. Any information. Anything your father said. People he might’ve mentioned.”

“Amos,” Sadie blurted. “He met a man named Amos.”

Inspector Williams sighed. “Sadie, he couldn't have done. Surely you know that. We spoke with Amos not one hour ago, on the phone from his home in New York.”

“He isn’t in New York!” Sadie insisted. “He’s right –”

Sadie looked back out the window. The Doctor turned around, but the man under the tree was gone.

“That’s not possible,” Sadie said.

“Exactly,” The inspector said.

“But he was here!” Sadie exclaimed. “Who is he? One of Dad’s colleagues? How did you know to call him?”

“Really, Sadie. This acting must stop.”

“Acting?”

The inspector studied the girl for a moment, then set his jaw as if he’d made a decision.

“We’ve already had the truth from Carter. I didn’t want to upset you, but he told us everything. He understands there’s no point protecting your father now. You might as well help us, and there will be no charges against you.”

“You shouldn’t lie to children!” Sadie yelled. “Carter would never say a word against Dad, and neither will I!”

The inspector crossed his arms. “I’m sorry you feel that way, Sadie. I’m afraid it’s time we went downstairs…to discuss consequences with your grandparents.”


	3. The Man in the Black Trenchcoat

The Doctor confidently strode through the front door of Sadie’s house. 

“Um, kid –”

The Doctor flashed them his psychic paper. “Police consultant.”

They seemed a bit skeptical, but allowed him to pass.

When Sadie saw him, her face could only be expressed as:  _ Are you kidding me? _

The Doctor flashed her a grin.

Carter was slumped on the sofa, cradling his father’s workbag. He looked awful, like he was about to burst into tears at any moment.

Two older people sat on either side of him, undoubtedly Carter and Sadie’s grandparents. They looked incredibly nervous. They then seemed to notice the Doctor. The woman visibly relaxed. The man looked even more agitated.

Despite a pot of tea and a plate of biscuits that sat on the table, no one touched them. Chief Inspector Williams was pacing in front of the fireplace, two more police by the front door – a young stern-looking woman and a big man who kept eyeing the biscuits. The Doctor standing in the corner, trying to look official.

“Mr. and Mrs. Faust,” Inspector Willaims said, “I’m afraid we have two uncooperative children.”

Mrs. Faust fidgeted with the trim of her dress, her eyes kept drifting to the Doctor. “They’re just children,” She managed. “Surely you can’t blame them.”

“Pah!” Mr. Faust said. “This is ridiculous, Inspector. They aren’t responsible!”

Whilst Mrs. Faust was thin and frail, Mr. Faust had beefy arms, a large stomach, and eyes that sunk into his face.

“Mr. Faust,” Inspector Williams said, “What do you imagine the morning headlines will read? ‘British Museum attacked. Rosetta Stone destroyed.’ Your son-in-law –”

“Former son-in-law,” Mr. Faust corrected.

“– was most likely vaporized in the explosion, or he ran off, in which case –”

“He didn’t run off!” Sadie shouted.

“We need to know where he is,” The inspector continued. “And the only witness, your grandchildren, refuse to tell me the truth.”

“We did tell you the truth,” Carter said. “Dad isn’t dead. He sank through the floor.”

“Young man,” The inspector said. “Your father has committed a criminal act. He’s left you behind to deal with the consequences –”

“That’s not true!” Sadie snapped, her voice trembling with rage.

“Dear, please,” Mrs. Faust begged Sadie, though her eyes locked onto the Doctor as if to say:  _ Do something. _ “The inspector is only doing his job.”

“Badly!”

“Let’s all have some tea,” Mrs. Faust suggested.

“No!” Carter and Sadie yelled at once. The old woman sunk into the sofa.

“We can charge you,” The inspector warned, turning on Sadie. “We can and we will –” he froze. Then he blinked several times, as if he’d forgotten what he was doing.

Mr. Faust frowned, looking at the Doctor accusingly. “Er, Inspector?”

“Yes…” Chief Inspector Willaims murmured dreamily. He reached in his pocket and took out a small blue booklet – an American passport. He threw it in Carter’s lap. “You’re being deported,” he announced. “You’re to leave the country within twenty four hours. If we need to question you further, you’ll be contacted through the FBI.”

Carter’s mouth fell open, Sadie looked shocked, even the other police officers looked confused.

“Sir?” The woman asked. “Are you sure –”

“Quiet, Linly. The two –” He glanced at the Doctor, “Er – three of you may go.”

The officers hesitated until Inspector Willaims made a shooing motion with his hand. The two officers left, but the Doctor stayed, though the inspector didn’t seem to notice.

“Hold on,” Carter said. “My father’s disappeared, and you want me to leave the country?”

“Your father is either dead or a fugitive, son,” The inspector said. “Deportation is the kindest option. It’s already been arranged.”

“By whom?” The Doctor demanded, causing Inspector Williams to swivel around and scowl at him.

“Didn’t I tell you to leave?”

“Yeah, well, I’m not particularly good with following directions.” The Doctor shrugged. “Now tell me who authorized this?”

“With…” The inspector’s gaze got blank again. “With the proper authorities. Believe me, it’s better than prison.”

Carter looked too devastated to speak, but before anyone could say anything, Inspector Willaims turned to Sadie. “You too, miss.”

Sadie stared at him in shock. “You’re deporating me?” She cried. “I live here!”

“You’re an American citizen. And under the circumstances, it’s best for you to return home.”

“Where am I supposed to go?”

“Who are these ‘proper authorities’?” The Doctor demanded. 

“Inspector Mrs. Faust said, her voice trembling. “This isn’t fair. I can’t believe –”

“I’ll give you some time to say goodbye,” The inspector interrupted. Then he frowned as if baffled by his own action. “I – I must be going.”

The Doctor frowned. Something was going on here. It didn’t make sense, and the inspector seemed to realize it too, but he walked to the front door anyways.

When he opened it, the man in the black trenchcoat was standing there.

Well, he’d lost his black trenchcoat, but he was still wearing the same pinstripe suit and round glasses. Brilliant outfit, if the Doctor did say so himself, if a little dark. Some browns and blues and it would be brilliant. His braided hair glittered with golden beads.

But the inspector said nothing, not even expressing any surprise. He didn’t acknowledge the man, just walked right past him and into the night.

The man came inside and closed the door. Mr. and Mrs. Faust stood up.

“You,” Mr. Faust growled. “I should’ve known. If I was younger, I would beat you to a pulp.”

“Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Faust,” The man said. He looked at Carter and Sadie. “It’s time we had a talk.”

The man made himself right at home, flopping down on the sofa and pouring himself a cup of tea. Mr. Faust looked like he might explode, his face bright red. He came up behind the man and raised his hand as if he was about to smack him, but the man kept munching on his biscuit.

“Please, sit down.” He said.

It was then that Mr. and Mrs. Faust seemed to notice the Doctor was still in there.

“And you,” He sounded like he was trying to be mad, but couldn’t quite force himself to. “What are you doing here?”

“It’s fine, Gramps,” Sadie glanced cautiously at the Doctor, as if suddenly realizing that she had no reason to trust him. “It’s fine. He was there with us at the museum.”

“I’ll bet he was.” The man grumbled. “Can’t keep him out of trouble.”

“You know me too?” The Doctor frowned.

Mr. Faust looked confused for a moment, before looking significantly more irritated. “Of  _ course  _ you’ve not met us yet. Just our luck. The  _ one _ time you come to help and you’re useless.”

“Sorry.” The Doctor said uncomfortably.

“Dad knew him too,” Carter was whispering to Sadie. “He kept looking at him like he knew him.”

“Well sit down, then.” Mr. Faust sighed.

“Have some tea.” Mrs. Faust encouraged.

Mr. Faust then sat down beside the man with a disgusted sigh.

The man sipped his tea and regarded Sadie with some displeasure. He then looked at Carter and grunted.

“Terrible timing,” He muttered. “But there’s no other way. They’ll have to come with me.”

“Excuse me?” Sadie said. “I’m not going anywhere with some strange man with biscuit on his face!”

He did, in fact, have biscuit crumbs on his face, but didn’t seem bothered enough to check.

“I’m no stranger, Sadie,” He said. “Don’t you remember?”

“No, Amos,” Mrs. Faust said, trembling. “You can’t take Sadie. We had an agreement.”

“Julius broke that agreement tonight,” The man said. “You know you can’t take care of Sadie anymore – not after what’s happened. Their only chance is to come with me.”

“Why should we go anywhere with you?” Carter asked. “You almost got in a fight with Dad!” Amos looked at the workbag in Carter’s lap. “I see you kept your father’s bag. That’s good. You’ll need it. As for getting into fights, Julius and I did that quite a lot. If you didn’t notice, Carter, I was trying to stop him from doing something rash. If he’d listened to me, we wouldn’t be in this situation.”

“You and your superstitions!” Mr. Faust said. “I told you we want none of it.”

Amos pointed to the black patio where they could see the lights shining down on the Thames. “Superstition, is it? And yet you found a place to live on the east bank of the river.”

Mr. Faust turned even redder. “That was Ruby’s idea. Thought it would protect us. But she was wrong about many things, wasn’t she? She trusted Julius and you, for one!”

Amos looked unfazed. He finished his cup of tea and looked straight at Mrs. Faust. “Mrs. Faust, you know what’s begun. The police are the least of your worries.”

The woman swallowed. “You…you changed that inspector’s mind. You made him deport Sadie.”  
“It was that or see the children arrested,” Amos said.

“Hang on,” Sadie said. “You changed Inspector William’s mind? How?”

Amos shrugged. “It’s not permanent. In fact, we should get to New York in the next hour or so before Inspector Willaims begins to wonder why he let you go.”

Carter laughed incredulously. “You can’t get to New York from London in an hour.”

“Well, actually…” The Doctor said, examining Amos’s wrist for a vortex manipulator. There was none. “No, not a Time Agent, then.”

“Not on a plane we can’t.” Amos said, ignoring the Doctor. He turned back to Mrs. Faust as if everything had been settled. “Mrs. Faust, Carter and Sadie have only one safe option. You know that. They’ll come to the mansion in Brooklyn. I can protect them there.”

“You’ve got a mansion,” Carter repeated. “In Brooklyn.”

Amos gave him an amused smile. “The family mansion. You’ll be safe there.”

“But our dad –”

“Is beyond your help for now,” Amos said sadly. “I’m so sorry, Carter. I’ll explain later, but Julius would want you to be safe. For that, we must move quickly. I’m afraid I’m all you’ve got.”

Carter glanced at Mr. and Mrs. Faust. He then nodded glumly.

“Well, Carter can do what he wants,” Sadie said. “But I live here. And I’m not going off with some stranger, am I?”

Sadie looked at her grandmother for support, but she was staring at the lace doilies on the table.

“Gramps, surely…”

But he wouldn’t meet her eyes either. He turned to Amos. “You can get them out of the country?”

Amos stood and wiped the crumbs off his jacket. He walked to the patio doors and stared out at the river. “The police will be back soon. Tell them anything you like. They won’t find us.”

“You're going to kidnap us?” Sadie asked, staring at her brother. “Do you believe this?”

Carter shouldered the workbag. He then stood like he was ready to go.

“How do you plan to get to New York in an hour?” He asked Amos. “You said, not a plane.”

“No,” Amos agreed. He put a finger to the window and traced a hieroglyph in the condensation.

“A boat,” Sadie translated.

Amos peered at the girl over the top of his round glasses. “How did you –”

“I mean, that last bit looks like a boat,” Sadie blurted out. “But that can’t be what you mean. That’s ridiculous.”

“Look!” Carter cried.

Down at the quayside, a boat was docked. But not an ordinary boat, it was an Egyptian reed boat, with two torches burning in the front and a large rudder in the back. A figure in a black trenchcoat and hat stood at the tiller.

“One condition.” Mr. Faust said to Amos. He pointed at the Doctor. “He comes too.”

“I do?” The Doctor asked. “Brilliant.”

Amos sighed. “Fine.”

“Wait, you can’t be serious.” Carter said. “We’re going in that? To Brooklyn?”

“We’d better get started,” Amos said.

Sadie whirled back to her grandmother. “Gran, please!”

She brushed a tear from her cheek. “It’s for the best, my dear. You should take Muffin.”

“Ah, yes,” Amos said. “We can’t forget the cat.”

She turned towards the stairs. As if on cue, a cat raced down and leaped into Sadie’s arms.

The cat had fuzzy yellow and black fur, alert yellow eyes, and pointy ears that were just a touch too tall for her head. A silver Egyptain pendant dangled from her collar.

“Who are you?” Sadie asked Amos. “We can’t just go off with some stranger.”

“I’m not a stranger.” Amos smiled at her. “I’m family.”

Recognition suddenly dawned on Sadie. “Uncle Amos?”

“That’s right, Sadie,” He said. “I’m Julius’s brother. Now come along. We have a long way to go.”

The Doctor grinned, “Allons-y!”


	4. The Brooklyn House

The Doctor, Sadie, and Carter followed Amos down to the boat docked at the quayside.

Carter was cradling his father’s workbag under his arm. He still looked to be in shock.

Amos stepped aboard the reed boat. It was woven together from coils of plant fiber. In the back, the tiler was manned by another man wearing Amos’s black trenchcoat and hat. The Doctor hopped right on, followed by Sadie. Carter hesitated, examining the boat.

“How does this thing move?” The boy asked. “You’ve got no sail.”

“Trust me.” Amos offered him a hand.

Carter reluctantly took it and joined them on the boat.

From Sadie’s arms, Muffin the cat sniffed and growled.

“Hello Muffin,” The Doctor went to pet the cat.

_ “Hello, Mortal.”  _ The cat grumbled.

“Don’t like boats?”

Muffin seemed shocked for a moment, staring at the Doctor with her big yellow eyes. She then curled her mouth up slightly in a sort of smile.

_ “Now  _ that’s _ interesting.” _

“What’s interesting?” The Doctor frowned.

“Doctor, what are you doing?” Sadie sighed.

“Talking to Muffin.” The Doctor replied as if this were a most ordinary thing.

“You’re  _ so  _ weird.”

Amos approached the group. “Take a seat inside,” He suggested. “The trip might be a little rough.”

“I’ll stand, thanks.” Sadie said. She then nodded towards the man in the back. “Who’s your driver?”

Amos acted as though he’d not heard the question. “Hang on, everyone!” He nodded to the steersman and the boat lurched forwards.

The boat moved with surprising speed. The lights of the city around them blurred and they were swallowed by a thick fog. Strange sounds echoed in the dark: Slithering and hissing, distant screams, voices whispering.

“So how did you know Dad?” Carter asked.

“And Gran and Gramps.” Sadie added.

“Er, I’m not sure actually.” The Doctor admitted.

“You don’t remember?” Sadie frowned.

“No, no, I’ve not met them yet.”

Carter stared at him. “But they knew you –”

“Yes, they’ve met me, I’ve not met them yet.” The Doctor explained. “I sort of travel through time.”

“Right,” Sadie said doubtfully. “How dumb do you think we are?”

“Not at all,” The Doctor said, “In fact, you’re a great deal cleverer than most adults. But children often are.”

The sounds around them were getting louder and louder until the boat suddenly slowed and the noises stopped completely. 

“Impossible.” Carter said. “That’s New York.”

Indeed, as the boat slowed and the noises stopped, the fog had dissipated and city lights came back brighter than before. Above them loomed a massive bridge and to the left was a familiar building: The Empire State Building.

Sadie was looking a bit green. She was cradling Muffin, whose eyes were closed and she seemed to be purring. “It can’t be,” Sadie said. “We only traveled a few minutes.”  
“Yet here we are.” The Doctor murmured. They were sailing up the East River, right under the Williamsburg Bridge. They glided to a stop beside a small dock on the Brooklyn side of the river. Before them was an industrial yard filled with piles of scrap metal and old construction equipment. In the center of it all, right at the water’s edge, rose a massive factory warehouse heavily painted with graffiti, the windows boarded up.

“That is not a mansion.” Sadie said.

“Your powers of perception never fail to astound me.” Carter whispered to her. She smacked him in the arm.

“Look again.” Amos pointed to the top of the building.

The Doctor focused harder only to see a massive five-story mansion perched on the roof of the warehouse.

“How…how did you…” Carter’s voice seemed to fail him. “You couldn’t build a mansion up there!”

“Long story,” Amos said. “But we need a private location.”

“And is this the east shore?” Sadie asked. “You said something about that in London – my grandparents living on the east shore.”

Amos smiled. “Yes. Very good, Sadie. In ancient times, the east bank of the Nile was always the side of the living, the side where the sun rises. The dead were buried west of the river –”

“I was buried in Ancient Egypt once.” The Doctor tried to contribute.

Sadie, Carter, and Amos stared at him.

“Well, in their defense, they  _ did  _ think I was dead at the time.”

“See, I told you he was crazy.” Carter whispered to Sadie.

“…It was considered back luck,” Amos tried to continue. “Even dangerous, to live there. The tradition is still strong among…our people.”

“Our people?” Carter asked, but Sadie piped up even louder.

“So you can’t live in Manhattan?”

Amos’s brow furrowed as he looked across at the Empire State Building. “Manhattan has other problems. Other gods. It’s best we stay seperate.”

“Other what?” Sadie demanded.

“Other gods.” The Doctor grumbled. “The last thing I need is for Zeus to shoulder his way in here and blast me to dust.”

Sadie glanced at Carter, as if to say:  _ Okay, you were right. _

Amos raised an eyebrow at the Doctor, but said nothing. He walked past the three children to the steersman. He plucked off the man’s hat and coat only to reveal that there was no one underneath. The steersman simply wasn’t there. Amos put on his fedora, folded his coat over his arm, then waved towards a metal staircase that wound all the way up the side of the warehouse to the mansion on the roof.

“All ashore,” He said. “And welcome to the Twenty-first Nome.”

“Gnome?” Carter asked as they followed Amos up the stairs. “Like those little runty guys?”

“Heavens, no,” Amos said. “I hate gnomes. They smell horrible.”

“But you said –”

“N-o-m-e.” The Doctor spelled out. “Ancient Egypt was divided into forty-two provinces. A Nome is just one of the provinces.”

Amos nodded. “Today, the system is a little different. We’ve gone global. The world is divided into three hundred and sixty nomes. Egypt, of course, is the first. Greater New York is the Twenty-first.”

Sadie glanced at her brother and mouthed.  _ Oh no, is he crazy too? _

“No, Sadie,” Amos said without looking back. “I’m not crazy. There’s much you need to learn.”

They reached the top of the stairs. The mansion was built of massive limestone blacks and steel-framed windows. There were hieroglyphics engraved around the windows, and the walls were lit up so it looked like a cross between a modern museum and an ancient temple. But by far the strangest thing was that if the Doctor glanced away and didn’t concentrate on it, the whole building would just disappear. It was nothing like the Mist he was used to.

Amos stopped before the entrance – a massive, dark, heavy square of timber with no visible handle or lock. “Carter, after you.”

“Um, how do I –”

“How do you think?”

“Uh…” Carter stared at the door. Then, he stretched out his arm. Slowly, without touching the door, he raised his hand and the door followed his movement – sliding upwards until it disappeared into the ceiling.

Sadie looked stunned.

The Doctor frowned. “How’d you do that?”

“I don’t know,” Carter admitted, sounding a little embarrassed. “Motion sensor, maybe?”

The Doctor scanned the door with the Sonic. “No…no motion sensor…” He smacked the Sonic against his hand. “Funny, it won’t scan quite right.”

“Interesting.” Amos sounded troubled. “Not the way I would’ve done it, but very good. Remarkably good.”

“Thanks, I think.” Carter said.

Sadie tried to go inside first, but as soon as she stepped on the threshold, Muffin wailed and almost clawed her way out of Sadie’s arms.

_ “Stop it! I can’t go in! I can’t go in!” _

Sadie stumbled backwards. “What was that about, cat?”

“She says she can’t go in.” The Doctor said.

“Oh, of course,” Amos said. “My apologies.” He put his hand on the cat’s forehead and said, very formally, “You may enter.”

“The cat needs permission?” Carter asked.

“Special circumstances,” Amos said. He didn’t explain further, instead walking inside.

The Doctor shrugged at the siblings and followed, the children behind him. This time, Muffin stayed quiet.

“Oh my god…” Sadie’s jaw dropped. 

“Yes,” Amos said. “This is the Great Room.”

Sadie was craning her neck to look at the ceiling. The Doctor glanced up as well.

The cedar-beamed ceiling was four stories high, held up by carved stone pillars engraved with hieroglyphs. A strange assortment of musical instruments and Ancient Egyptian weapons decorated the walls. Three levels of balconies ringed the room, with rows of doors all looking out on the main area. The fireplace was about four and a half meters long and a full meter high with a plasma-screen television above the mantel and massive leather sofas on either side. On the floor was a massive snakeskin rug. Outside, through glass walls, the Doctor could see the terrace that wrapped around the house. It had a swimming pool, a dining area, and a blazing fire pit. At the far end of the Great Room was a set of double doors marked with the Eye of Horus, and chained with a half dozen padlocks.

But the biggest attraction was at the center of the room. It was a ten meter tall statue made of black marble. It was an Egyptian god – it had a human body with an animal’s head with a long neck and beak. The god was dressed in a shendyt – a sort of egyptian kilt, a sash, and a wesekh – an egyptian neck collar. He held a scribe’s stylus in one hand, and an open scroll in the other. It was a statue of the Egyptian god Thoth. On the scroll, a few hieroglyphs were inscribed: An ankh with a rectangle traced around its top.

“That’s it!” Sadie exclaimed. “Per Ankh.”

Carter stared at her in disbelief. “All right, how can you read that?”

“I don’t know,” She admitted. “But it’s obvious, isn’t it? The top one is shaped like the floor plan of a house.”

“How’d you get that? It’s just a box.” Carter said.

“She’s right, though.” The Doctor said. “That’s Per Ankh – the House of Life.”

Amos glanced at the Doctor warily. “Yes, indeed. And this is a statue of the only god still allowed in the House of Life – at least, normally. Do you recognize him, Carter?”

Carter frowned, examining the statue. “Thoth,” He finally said. “The god of knowledge. He invented writing.”

“Indeed.” Amos said.

“Why the animal heads?” Sadie asked. “All those Egyptian gods have animal heads. They look so silly.”

“They were often depicted as therianthropic – part human, part animal –” The Doctor explained, “To show the bridge between humanity and nature. The animal heads show how they exist in two different worlds at once.”

“In real life, they’re usually fully human or fully animal.” Amos said. “It’s only occasionally that they appear in their hybrid form like this. Do you understand?”

“Not even a little,” Sadie said.

“Mmm.” Amos didn’t sound surprised.

“Wait,” Carter said, “In real life? Come on, you sound like you’ve met them in person.”

Amos looked as though he was remembering something unpleasant.

“Yes, we have much training to do. At any rate, the god before you, Thoth, founded the House of Life, for which this mansion is the regional headquarters. Or at least…it used to be. I’m the only member left in the Twenty-first Nome. Or I was, until you two came along.”

“Two?” Sadie asked. “What about the Doctor?”

“He’s not exactly…” Amos reached for the right words.

“I don’t count,” The Doctor said, “I’m alien.”

“Like, a foreigner?” Carter asked.

“Nope.”

Sadie rolled his eyes. “Maybe they just don’t allow mad blokes.”

“Okay, slow down.” Carter said, “What’s the House of Life? Why is Thoth the only god allowed here? Who is the Doctor, really? And why are you –”

“Carter, I understand how you feel.” Amos smiled sympathetically. “But these things are better discussed in daylight. You need to get some sleep, and I don’t want you to have nightmares.”

“You think I can sleep?”

_ “Well,  _ I’m _ tired.”  _ Muffin said, stretching in Sadie’s arms and letting loose a massive yawn.

Amos clapped his hands. “Khufu!”

“Bless you.” Carter said.

But it hadn’t been a sneeze. A small three foot tall baboon with golden fur and a purple Lakers jersey came clambering down the stairs.

The baboon did a flip and landed in front of the three children. He showed off his fangs and made a half-roar half-belch.

Carter stared at him before blurting out. “The Lakers are my home team!”

The baboon slapped his head with both hands and belched again.

“Oh, Khufu likes you,” Amos said. “You’ll get along famously.”

“Right.” Sadie was looking dazed. “You’ve got a monkey butler. Why not?”

_ “Alone – Boy.” _ Khufu grunted.

Amos chuckled. “He wants to go one-on-one with you, Carter. To, ah, see your game.”

Carter shifted from foot to foot. “Um, yeah. Sure. Maybe tomorrow. But how can you understand –”

“Carter, I’m afraid you’ll have a lot to get used to,” Amos said. “But if you’re going to survive and save your father, you have to get some rest.”

“Sorry,” Sadie said, “Did you say ‘survive and save our father’? Could you expand on that?”

“Tomorrow,” Amos promised. “We’ll begin your orientation in the morning. Khufu, show them to their rooms, please.”

_ “Rooms.” _ The baboon agreed. He turned and waddled up the stairs.

The Doctor, Sadie, and Carter were just about to follow, when Amos said, “Carter, the workbag, please. It’s best if I lock it in the library.”

Carter hesitated, clutching the bag.

“You’ll get it back,” Amos promised. “When the time is right.”

Carter reluctantly handed over the bag. Amos took it gingerly, as if it were full of explosives – for all the Doctor knew, it could be.

“See you in the morning.” He turned and strode towards the chained-up doors. They unlatched themselves and opened just enough for Amos to slip through without revealing anything on the other side. Then the chains locked again behind him.

The Doctor, Sadie, and Carter exchanged a look.

“Right, up we go.” The Doctor said, and the three of them followed Khufu up the stairs.

The Doctor, Sadie, and Carter got adjoining rooms on the third floor.

Carter’s room came first, then Sadie’s, then the Doctor’s. Despite Amos having no warning that the Doctor was coming, the room seemed to be styled for him. But he had clearly had no influence over it. Everything just seemed too straight and organized. The bed was a king size – much too big – and had ivory headrests – the Doctor despised ivory. The pillows were not made of traditional cloth, but an ivory headrest decorated with lions and hieroglyphs. The ceiling sparkled with stars – with a painful twinge it reminded the Doctor of the stars Leo had designed for him back on the  _ Argo II _ . He forced away that memory.

On the far side of the room, there was a balcony that looked out over the New York Harbour, with views of Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty in the distance, but the sliding glass doors were locked shut.

The Doctor tried to Sonic it open, but the doors were deadlocked.

He sprinted back towards the door to the room and tried to open it as well. 

Deadlocked.

He tried the door that would connect to Sadie’s room. Deadlocked.

He cursed quietly. “Sadie! Carter!”

“What?” There was a jiggling on the door handle, then a curse from Sadie. Her footsteps ran across the room to the door that would connect her and Carter. From the sound of it, it wouldn’t budge either.

“We’re prisoners.” Sadie said after trying the rest of the doors in her room. “Do you think Amos…I mean, can we trust him?”

“It’ll be fine.” The Doctor promised.

“Yeah,” Carter said, trying to sound confident, but nervousness seeping through his voice. “If Amos wanted to hurt us, he could’ve done it by now.”

There was a long pause.

“This was magic, wasn’t it?” Sadie said. “What happened to Dad at the museum. Amos’s boat. This house. All of it’s magic.”

“I think so.” Carter admitted.

“It’s not magic, per se.” The Doctor said. “Just the manipulation of reality using a combination of words and science.”

“Isn’t that just what magic is?” Carter asked. “Making this move and change without touching them?”

“Technically – well, not really. It’s very complicated. I’m sure you wouldn't understand.”

“I think you just don’t know.” Carter said, and from his voice, the Doctor could tell he was grinning.

“Bloody ancient deities.” The Doctor grumbled. “They never make anything simple.”

“So, if this is magic, are you really an alien?” Sadie asked.

“Yes.”

“Still not sure you’re telling the truth.”

“And you said you travel through time,” Carter said, “If you really do that, can you tell me like, how I’ll die?”

“Time isn’t that simple,” The Doctor tried to explain. “It’s in a constant state of flux. Your actions today can change your tomorrow. Nothing is set – well, not nothing. Certain points in time are fixed. Defining moments in the universe –”

“You know what, this is too weird. Forget I asked.” Carter sighed. “We should get some sleep. Don’t let the bedbugs bite.”

There was a tense pause, and the Doctor could tell those words meant more than they seemed.

“I miss Dad.” Sadie said. “I hardly ever saw him, I know, but…I miss him.”

“We’ll find him,” Carter promised.

“Pleasant dreams.”

The Doctor lay in the too-soft bed. He stared up at the stars that illuminated the ceiling. He felt trapped. No, he  _ was  _ trapped. He couldn’t get out. He could find a way, he was sure, but still…He was used to going where he wanted, doing what he wanted…It all felt claustrophobic. He was going to have a  _ serious  _ talk with Amos when this was all done with. If only the doors weren’t made out of wood.

Yeah, he really had to upgrade his Sonic.


	5. Dreams, Explanations, and a Lovely Breakfast

The moment the doors unlocked in the morning, the Doctor bolted out. He made his way around the mansion. It easily could sleep a hundred people, but it was empty and eerie – just his kind of place.

After wandering the mansion for a few hours, he found himself out on the terrace where Sadie and Amos had just sat down to eat breakfast – it was a buffet of options; French toast, bacon, hot chocolate, pancakes.

“Merry Christmas.” Sadie said before taking another bite of her eggs. She was dressed in white linen pajamas and combat boots.

“Is it Christmas already?” The Doctor joined them at the table.

Sadie rolled her eyes. “Oh, I’m sorry Mr. Time Traveling Alien. What reason would you have to know it’s Christmas?”

“I was there for the first Christmas, you know.” The Doctor said. “And trust me, it was no silent night.”

Sadie looked like she was tempted to throw her breakfast at the Doctor.

“What, neither childbirth nor alien attacks are particularly silent. Well, they can be, but these particular aliens –”

A fork whizzed past the Doctor’s ear.

“Oi! What did I do?”

“Be an idiot?”

The Doctor stuck his tongue out at her. “Don’t worry, I’ll just have to take you somewhere on the TARDIS.”

“The TARDIS?” Sadie raised an eyebrow. “What’s that? The intergalactic taxi service?”

“No, that’s the I.T.E.S.,” The Doctor corrected, “The Interplanetary Transportational Escort System. But it’s a bit rubbish if you ask me.”

“I didn’t…I was joking…” Sadie pinched the bridge of her nose. “Okay, I’ll bite. What’s the TARDIS?”

“She’s my ship.” The Doctor grinned. “The best ship in the universe, she is.”

“You have a boat?”

“No, she’s a spaceship!” 

“Right, of course! What else could it possibly be?” Then, “You call your spaceship a she?”

Before the Doctor could respond, footsteps sounded nearby, and Carter descended down the stairs in his own linen pajamas.

“Merry Christmas, my boy.” Amos said. “Join us.”

“About time,” Sadie said, “We’ve been up for ages.”

Sadie and Carter locked eyes for a moment and something passed between them.

“Please, Carter, help yourself.” Amos waved towards the buffet table. “Then we can get started with the explanations.”

Carter sat down with his plate of pancakes with butter and syrup, some bacon, and a glass of orange juice.

From the corner of his eye, the Doctor saw movement in the swimming pool. Something long and pale was gliding just under the surface of the water.

“Why do you have a crocodile in the pool?” He asked.

“What?” Carter nearly knocked over his glass of juice.

“His name is Philip Macedonia,” Amos said calmly. “He’s there for good luck. He’s albino, but please don’t mention that. He’s sensitive.”

“That’s a long name.” Carter managed.

“He’s a long crocodile.” Sadie observed.

“Hello, Philip,” The Doctor greeted above the water.

_ “Do you have bacon?”  _ Philip asked.  _ “I  _ love  _ bacon.” _

“Sadie, pass the bacon.”

“What?”

“Philip, he wants bacon.” The Doctor said.

“And how do you know that?” Sadie sighed.

“He told me.”

“He’s a crocodile…” Sadie said.

“Yes, I speak crocodile.” The Doctor said, as if that were obvious.

“Of course, why wouldn’t you?” Sadie rolled her eyes, picking up the bacon and tossing a piece into the pool. Philip lunged out and snapped it up before it even touched the surface. His hide was pure white and his eyes were pink.

“He’s quite harmless to my friends,” Amos said. “In the old days, no temple would be complete without a lake full of crocodiles. They are powerful magic creatures.”

“Right,” Carter said. “So the baboon, the crocodile…any other pets I should know about?”

Amos thought for a moment. “Visible ones? No, I think that’s it.”

“Right, so Amos,” The Doctor said once everyone had settled back into their meals, “Explanations.”

“Yes,” He agreed. “Where to start…”

“Our dad,” Sadie suggested. “What happened to him?”

Amos took a deep breath. “Julius was attempting to summon a god. Unfortunately, it worked.”

“How long will it take for people to realize that gods are rubbish?” The Doctor grumbled.

“Any god in particular?” Carter asked, “Or did he just order a generic god?”

Sadie kicked him under the table.

Amos took a bite of his bagel. “There are many Egyptian gods, Carter. But your dad was after one in particular.”

He looked at Carter meaningfully.

“Osiris,” He remembered. “When Dad was standing in front of the Rosetta Stone, he said, ‘Osiris, come.’ But Osiris is a legend. He’s make-believe.”

“I wish.” The Doctor grumbled bitterly.

Amos stared across the East River at the Manhattan skyline. “Ancient Egyptians were not fools, Carter. They built the pyramids. They created the first great nation state. Their civilization lasted thousands of years.”

“Yeah,” Carter said. “And now they’re gone.”

Amos shook his head. “A legacy that powerful does not disappear. Next to the Egyptians, the Greeks and Romans were babies. Our modern nations like Great Britain and America? Blinks of an eye. The very oldest root of civilization –”

“Well, actually Ancient India could easily rival Ancient Egypt.” The Doctor corrected. “They were both established in 3300 B.C.E., and to be perfectly honest, the Hindu gods are  _ much  _ more fun than the Egyptian ones.”

Amos scowled at him. “Egypt is very much alive. Look at the pyramid on the dollar bill. Look at the Washington Monument – the world’s largest Egyptian obelisk. This means that, unfortunately, the gods, too, are very much alive.”

“Come on,” Carter argued. “I mean…even if I believe there’s a real thing called magic. Believing in ancient gods is totally different. You’re joking, right?”

“Actually –” The Doctor tried.

“No, you don’t get to comment,” Carter interrupted. “We’ve already established that you’re crazy.”

“Carter,” Amos said, “The Egyptians would not have been stupid enough to believe in imaginary gods. The beings they described in their myths are very, very real. In the old days, the priests of Egypt would call upon these gods to channel their power and perform great feasts. That is the origin of what we now call magic. Like many things, magic was first invented by the Egyptians. Each temple had a branch of magicians called the House of Life. Their magicians were famed throughout the ancient world.”

“And you’re an Egyptian magician.” Carter said doubtfully.

Amos nodded. “So was your father. You saw it for yourself last night.”

Carter hesitated. “But he’s an archaeologist.”

“That’s his cover story.” Amos explained. “You’ll remember that he specializes in translating ancient spells, which are very difficult to understand unless you work magic yourself. Our family, the Kane family, has been part of the House of Life almost since the beginning. And your mother’s family is almost as ancient.”

“The Fausts?” Carter asked.

“They had not practiced magic for many generations,” Amos admitted. “Not until your mother came along. But yes, a very ancient bloodline.”

Sadie shook her head in disbelief. “So now Mum was magic, too. Are you joking?”

“No jokes,” Amos promised. “The two of you…you combine the blood of two ancient families, both of which have a long, complicated history with the gods. You are the most powerful Kane children to be born in many centuries.”

“You’re telling me our parents secretly worshipped animal-headed gods?” Carter asked.

“Not worshipped,” Amos corrected. “By the end of the ancient times, Egyptians had learned that their gods were not to be worshipped. They are powerful beings, primeval forces, but they are not divine in the sense one might think of them. They are created entities, like mortals, only much more powerful. We can respect them, fear them, use their power, or even fight them to keep them under control –”

“Fight gods?” Sadie interrupted.

“Constantly,” Amos assured her. “But we don’t worship them. Thoth taught us that.”

Carter looked doubtful, but Sadie was drinking up every word.

“So…” Carter said. “Why did Dad break the Rosetta Stone?”

“Oh, I’m sure he didn’t mean to break it,” Amos said. “That would’ve horrified him. In fact, I imagine my brethren in London have repaired the damage by now. The curators will soon check their vaults and discover that the Rosetta Stone miraculously survived the explosion.”

“But it was blown into a million pieces!” Carter protested. “How could they repair it?”

Amos picked up a saucer and threw it onto the stone floor where it shattered.

“That was to destroy,” Amos said. “I could’ve done it by magic – ha-di – but it’s simpler to just smash it. And now…” Amos held out his hand. “Join. Hi-nehm.”

A blue hieroglyphic symbol burned in the air above his palm.

The pieces of the saucer flew into his hand and reassembled like a puzzle, even the smallest bits of dust gluing themselves into place. Amos put the perfect saucer back on the table.

Carter stared in shock. “Some trick,” He managed.

Amos poured milk in the saucer and put it on the floor. Muffin came padding over.

“At any rate,” Amso said, “Your father would never intentionally damage a relic. He simply didn’t realize how much power the Rosetta Stone contained. You see, as Egypt faded, its magic collected and concentrated into its remaining relics. Most of these, of course, are still in Egypt. But you can find some in almost every major museum. A magician can use these artifacts as focal points to work more powerful spells.”

“I don’t get it.” Carter admitted.

“See, there’s a limited amount of Egyptian magic in the world,” The Doctor tried to explain. “And so when Ancient Egypt faded into modern Egypt, that magic dissipated, but it couldn’t be destroyed per se, it just moved. It picked the most Ancient Egyptian things it could; these artifacts. Instead of  _ creating  _ magic, the artifacts can boost your magic and make it stronger and easier to use.”

Carter frowned, though he looked like he understood a bit better.

“The important thing is,” Amos said, “For the past six years, your father has been looking for a way to summon Osiris, and last night he thought he had found the right artifact to do it.”

“But he was wrong,” The Doctor said. “He summoned someone else.”

Amos nodded. “He got much more than he bargained for. He did release the spirit of Osiris. In fact, I think he successfully joined with the god –”

“Joined with?” Carter asked.

Amos held up his hand. “Another long conversation. For now, let’s just say he drew the power of Osiris into himself. But he never got the chance to use it because it appears that Julius released five gods from the Rosetta Stone. Five gods who were all trapped together.”

“Wait, why was he trying to summon Osiris?” Carter asked.

Sadie gave him a troubled look. “Carter, Osiris was the lord of the dead. Dad was talking about making things right. He was talking about mom.”

Carter froze for a moment. “He wanted to bring Mom back from the dead?” He asked. “But that’s crazy!”

Amos hesitated. “It would’ve been dangerous. Inadvisable. Foolish. But not crazy. Your father is a powerful magician. If, in fact, that is what he was after, he might have accomplished it, using the power of Osiris.”

“The dead should stay dead.” The Doctor murmured quietly. “As much as it may break your hearts.”

“Hearts?” Sadie asked. “You know what, nevermind. I don’t want to know.”

“So, the five gods,” Carter said, “The fiery guy said something like, ‘You released all five.’ What did he mean?”

Amos sipped his coffee. “I don’t want to scare you.” He said.

“Too late.” Carter admitted.

“The gods of Egypt are dangerous.” Amos said. “For the last two thousand years or so, we magicians have spent much of our time binding and banishing them whenever they appear. In fact, our most important law, issued by Chief Lector Iskandar in Roman times, forbids unleashing the gods or using their power. Your father broke that law once before.”

Sadie’s face paled. “Does this have to do with Mum’s death? Cleopatra’s Needle in London?”

“Cleopatra’s Needle?” The Doctor asked.

“Before we went to the museum, Dad took us to Cleopatra’s Needle,” Sadie explained. “He told us that’s where Mum died.”

“It has everything to do with that.” Amos said. “Your parents…well, they thought they were doing something good. They look a terrible risk, and it cost your mother her life. Your father took the blame. He was exiled, I suppose you would say. Banished. He was forced to move around constantly because the House monitored his activities. They feared he would continue his…research. As indeed he did.”

“Is that why you never came round?” Sadie asked. “Because Dad was banished?”

“The House forbade me to see him. I loved Julius. It hurt me to stay away from my brother, and from you children. But I could not see you – until last night, when I simply had no choice but to try to help. Julius has been obsessed with finding Osiris for years. He was consumed with grief because of what happened to your mother. When I learned that Julius was about to break the law again, to try to set things right, I had to stop him. A second offense would’ve meant a death sentence. Unfortunately, I failed. I should’ve known he was too stubborn.”

Muffin leaped onto the table and rubbed against Carter’s hand. When he didn’t object, she began eating his bacon.

“Last night at the museum,” Carter said, “The girl with the knife, the man with the forked beard – they were magicians too? From the House of Life?”

“Yes,” Amos said. “Keeping an eye on your father. You are fortunate they let you go.”

“The girl wanted to kill us,” Carter remembered. “But the guy with the beard said, not yet.”

“They don’t kill unless it is absolutely necessary,” Amos said. “They will wait to see if you are a threat.”

“Why would they be a threat?” The Doctor frowned. “They’re children?”

“Yeah, the summoning wasn’t our idea!” Sadie piped up.

Amos pushed away his plate. “There’s a reason you two were raised separately.”

“Because the Fausts took Dad to court,” Carter said matter-of-factly. “And Dad lost.”

“It was much more than that,” Amos said. “The House insisted you two be separated. Your father wanted to keep you both, even though he knew how dangerous it was.”

Sadie looked as though she’d been smacked between the eyes. “He did?”

“Of course. But the House intervened and made sure your grandparents got custody of you, Sadie. If you and Carter were raised together, you could become very powerful. Perhaps you have already sensed changes over the past day.”

“Your sixth birthday.” Carter suddenly told Sadie.

“The cake,” She said immediately. She then turned to the Doctor. “The last birthday party we’d shared as a family was my sixth. I don’t remember what it was about, but Carter wanted to blow out the candles for me, and we started yelling. I grabbed his shirt, then he pushed me, and I remember Dad rushing towards us to try to intervene, but before he could, my cake exploded.”

“They sent me to my room.” Carter said. “There was icing  _ everywhere. _ ”

“Later they told us we must’ve hit the cake on accident when we were fighting, but we knew he hadn’t.”

Carter suddenly turned to Amos. “You were there. You were at Sadie’s party.”

“Vanilla icing,” He recalled. “Very tasty. But it was clear even then that you two would be difficult to raise in the same household.”

“And so…” Carter faltered. “What happens to us now?”

“You must be trained properly,” Amos said, “Whether the House approves or not.”

“Why wouldn’t they approve?” The Doctor frowned.

“I will explain everything, don’t worry.” Amos promised. “But we must start lessons if we are to stand any chance of finding Julius and putting things right. Otherwise the entire world is in danger.”

“Isn’t it always.” The Doctor grumbled.

Amos ignored him. “If only we knew where –”

“Phoenix,” Carter suddenly blurted out.

Amos stared at the boy. “What?”

“Last night I had…well, not a dream, exactly…” Carter admitted. “It was like a dream, but it was too…real. I was floating around in the air and I was gold and shimmery, and I had these, like, golden wings for arms.”

“Right. How real.” Sadie said.

“But I flew out through the window,” Carter ignored her, speeding up, “I didn’t want to, but I was pulled out by something. I went back through the mist we went through on the boat, and then I was over this mountain – Camelback Mountain, just above the city, Phoenix. It was in the desert somewhere. And there were these two people standing on a bridge, but they – they were human. One of them was like, kind of a short dude with like, toad’s skin. The other was  _ super  _ skinny with rooster feet.

“The toad guy asked where ‘he’ was. And rooster-foot said that he’s not taken a permanent host yet because he can only appear for a short time.”

“Who’s ‘he’?” Sadie asked.

“Sadie, it was the fiery guy. Like, the guy who took dad.”

Sadie stared, and Carter kept going. “He asked where he was, and the rooster-foot told him, and said the city Phoenix was appropriate, and how the desert is like home. He said it needs to be scoured of life so it can be a sterile place. And he said,” Carter hesitated, as if trying to remember. “One is entombed, the second is week and will be easily manipulated, and the other two will be ‘dealt with soon enough.’”

“Dealt with?” The Doctor frowned. Carter just shrugged.

“The toad asked that too, but the fiery man…You know what happens to snails when kids pour salt on them?”

The Doctor winced.

“He said he was going to build his temple on the mountain. He said when it’s complete, he’d summon a storm that would cleanse everything. Then the rooster-foot suggested he increase his power first, and I thought the fiery guy was about to fry him, he whispered something, and the fiery guy burned really bright and said the rooster-foot would be rewarded if he could do something. He told him to unleash their focus and to start with the ‘longnecks’ and to ‘collect the younglings and bring them to me.’ Alive. ‘Before they have time to learn their powers.”

Sadie was leaning in, “And what else?”

“Um, he said it would make a lovely birthday present. And then I woke up.”  
Carter shrugged. “Then I woke up.”

Amos looked incredibly troubled. “You’re sure he said ‘birthday present’?”

“Yeah, but what does that mean?”

“And a permanent host,” Amos said. “He didn’t have one yet?”

“Well, that’s what the rooster-footed guy said –”

“That was a demon,” Amos said. “A minion of chaos. And if demons are coming through to the mortal world, we don’t have much time. This is bad, very bad.”

“If you live in Phoenix,” Carter said.

“Carter, our enemy won’t stop in Phoenix. If he’s grown so powerful so fast…What did he say about the storm, exactly?”

“He said: ‘I will summon the greatest storm ever known.’”

Amos scowled. “Last time he said that, he created the Sahara. A storm that large could destroy North America, generating enough chaos energy to give him an almost invincible form.”

“What are you talking about?” Carter demanded. “Who is this guy?”

Amos waved away the question. “More important right now: why didn’t you sleep with the headrest?”

Carter shrugged. “It was uncomfortable.” He glanced at Sadie and the Doctor for support. “You didn’t use it, did you?”

“I don’t sleep.” The Doctor shrugged.

“Sadie?” Carter tried.

“Well, of course I did.” Sadie rolled her eyes. “It was obviously there for a reason.”

“Carter,” Amos said, “Sleep is dangerous. It’s a doorway into the Duat.”

“Lovely,” Sadie grumbled. “Another strange word.”

“The Duat is the underworld,” The Doctor explained. “It’s the realm of the dead.”

“It’s a world of spirits and magic.” Amos said. “It exists beneath the waking world like a vast ocean, with many layers and regions. We submerged just under its surface last night to reach New York, because travel through the Duat is much faster. Carter, your consciousness also passed through its shadowest currents as you slept, which is how you witnessed what happened in Phoenix. Fortunately, you survived that experience. But the deeper you go into the Duat, the more horrible things you encounter, and the more difficult it is to return. There are entire realms filled with demons, places where the gods exist in their pure forms, so powerful their mere presence would burn a human to ashes. There are prisons that hold beings of unspeakable evil, and some chasams so deep and chaotic that not even the gods dare explore them. Now that your powers are stirring, you must not sleep without protection, or leave yourself open to attacks from the Duat or…unintended journeys through it. The headrest is enchanted, to keep your consciousness anchored to your body.”

“You mean I actually did…” Carter murmured. “Could he have killed me?”

Amos’s expression was grave. “The fact that your soul can travel like that means you are progressing faster than I thought. Faster than should be possible. If the Red Lord had noticed you –”

“The Red Lord?” Sadie said. “That’s the fiery bloke?”

Amos rose. “I must find out more. We can’t simply wait for him to find you. And if he releases the storm on his birthday, at the height of his powers –”

“You mean you’re going to Phoenix?” Carter asked. “Amos, that fiery man defeated Dad like his magic was a joke! Now he’s got demons, and he’s getting stronger, and – you’ll be killed!”

Amos gave Carter a dry smile. “Don’t count your uncle out so quickly, Carter. I’ve got some magic of my own. Besides, I must see what is happening for myself if we’re to have any chance at saving your father and stopping the Red Lord. I’ll be quick and careful. Just stay here. Muffin will guard you.”

Carter blinked. “The cat will guard us? You can’t just leave us here! What about our training?”

“When I return,” Amos promised. “Don’t worry, the mansion is protected. Just do not leave. Do not be tricked into opening the door for anyone. And whatever happens, do not go into the library. I absolutely forbid it. I will be back by sunset.”

Before anyone could say anything, Amos walked calmly to the edge of the terrace and jumped.

“No!” Sadie screamed. The three of them ran to the railing and looked over. Below was a thirty meter drop into the East River. There was no sign of Amos.

“So,” The Doctor said, turning back to the other two children. “Want to explore the library?”


	6. The Shabti

Sadie had grinned like a madman, but Carter cried out, “Hold on! You can’t just –”

“Brother dear,” Sadie said, “Did your soul leave your body again while Amos was talking, or did you actually hear him? Egyptian gods real. Red Lord bad. Red Lord’s birthday: very soon, very bad. House of Life: fussy old magicians who hate our family because Dad was a bit of a rebel, whom by the way you could take a lesson from. Which leaves us – just us – with Dad missing, an evil god about to destroy the world, and an uncle who just jumped off the building – and I can’t actually blame him.” She took a breath. “Am I missing anything? Oh, yes, I also have a brother who is supposedly quite powerful from an ancient bloodline, blah, blah, et cetera, but is too afraid to visit a library.”

“I’m quite powerful too,” The Doctor tried to contribute.

“No, you’re a lunatic who’s got some weird connection to our family that even  _ you  _ don’t know about.” Sadie waved him off. “Now, Carter, are you coming or not?”

Carter blinked, looking affronted.

“I just…” He faltered. “I just think we should be careful.”

Oh. It was then that the Doctor realized that the boy was afraid. He was scared.

“I’m always careful.” The Doctor scoffed.

“I don’t believe that for a second.” Sadie grumbled. “Look, Carter,” She said. “We need to help Dad, yes? There’s got to be some powerful stuff in the library, otherwise Amos wouldn’t keep it locked up. You do want to help Dad?”

Carter shifted uncomfortably. “Yeah…of course.”

“Great, let’s go, then!” Sadie started walking towards the library.

“Allons-y!” The Doctor grinned.

She turned to him, a look of mild irritation on her face. “What?”

“It’s French,” The Doctor explained. “For ‘let’s go.’”

“Then why didn’t you just say ‘let’s go’?”

The Doctor stuck his tongue at her.

“I thought you said you were nine hundred and not nine.” Sadie teased.

But the moment that Khufu saw what they were doing, he scrambled off the sofa with a basketball and jumped in front of the doors.

_ “STOP! STOP! STOP!” _

He also appeared to have been eating something with pink feathers, which were painfully evident through the massive fangs.

“Calm down, it’s fine,” The Doctor insisted, “We’re not going to take anything.”

_ “STOP! NO!”  _ Khufu dribbled his basketball angrily.

“Hey Khufu,” Sadie said calmly, pulling out a yellow box of cereal she’d taken from the buffet table. “Ta-da! Cheerios! Ends with an -o. Yummies!”

_ “Os!”  _ Khufu grunted, now excited.

“Want it?” Sadie coaxed. “Just take it to the couch and pretend you didn’t see us, yes?”

She threw the cereal towards the couch, and the baboon lunged after it. He grabbed the box in midair and was so excited, he ran directly up the wall and sat on the fireplace mantel, where he began gingerly picking out Cheerios and eating them one at a time.

“How did you know…?” The Doctor frowned.

She gestured obviously to the pink feathers on the floor. “Flamingo. Cheerio. Amos told me this morning, he loves food that ends in Os.” 

“Oh.”

“Exactly. Now, let’s open these doors.”

The Doctor spent five minutes trying to Sonic the door open.

“What even is that?” Sadie asked.

“Sonic Screwdriver.” He grumbled as he gave up. “Bloody deadlock seals. How’d the House even find out about deadlocks?”

“Sonic Screwdriver? Deadlock seal?” Carter frowned.

“Don’t bother, he’s mad.” Sadie decided.

_ “All  _ of this is mad, Sadie!” Carter cried.

“Wait a second,” Sadie said suddenly. “What was that word Amos used at breakfast with the saucer?”

“Hi-nehm.” The Doctor recited, “It means ‘to join.’”

“No, the other one,” Sadie said, “The one for ‘destroy’.”

“Ha-di,” Carter said. “But you’d need to know magic and the hieroglyphics, wouldn’t you? And even then –”

Sadie raised her hand towards the door and pointed with two fingers and her thumb. 

“Ha-di!” Bright golden hieroglyphics burned against the largest padlock.

The doors exploded.

The Doctor and Carter hit the floor as chains shattered and splinters flew all over the Great Room. When the dust cleared, the Doctor jumped up from the floor. Carter and the Doctor were covered in wood shavings, though Sadie seemed just fine. Muffin circled her feet.

_ “Very good, Sadie. Very good, indeed.” _

“Muffin is very impressed.” The Doctor reported.

Sadie rolled her eyes.

Carter stared at his sister. “How exactly –”

“Don’t know,” Sadie admitted. “But the library’s open.”

The Doctor examined the damage. “A bit overkill, I should think.”

“We’re going to be in so much trouble.” Carter groaned.

“We’ll just figure out a way to zap the door back, won’t we?” Sadie shrugged.

“No more zapping, please,” Carter said. “That explosion could’ve killed us.”

“Oh, do you think if I tried that spell on a person –”

“No!” Both Carter and the Doctor cried.

Sadie was obviously fighting back a smile. “Let’s just explore the library, shall we?”

She stepped forwards and nearly collapsed.

The Doctor lunged out to catch her. “You ‘right?”

“Fine,” She managed. Then, “I’m tired…And famished.”

“You just ate a huge breakfast.” Carter protested, but he looked terrified.

“Nevermind,” She said. “I’ll manage.”

The Doctor studied the girl skeptically.

“Wait, those hieroglyphs you created were golden.” Carter said. “Dad and Amos both used blue. Why?”

“Maybe everyone has their own colour,” Sadie suggested. “Maybe you’ll get hot pink.”

“Very funny.”

“Hot pink’s a brilliant colour,” The Doctor said. “On a number of planets it represents affection, harmony, and inner peace. In a number it represents anger, violence, and disease, but those are significantly less common.”

“Come on you madlad,” Sadie sighed. “Inside we go.”

The library was lovely. Not as good as the TARDIS, not by a longshot, but it wasn’t bad. The round chamber sunk deep into solid rock. From the platform in which they stood, a staircase descended three stories to the bottom floor. The walls, floor, and domed ceiling were all decorated with multicoloured pictures of Egyptian people, gods, and monsters.

A blue starry sky glittered on the ceiling, painted in a lovely swirling pattern in the shape of a woman lying curled on her side – her body, arms, and legs a dark blue, dotted with stars. Below, the library floor was done in a similar way, the green and brown earth shaped into the body of a man, dotted with forests, hills, and cities, a river snaking across his chest.

“It’s beautiful.” Carter whispered.

The library had no books, no bookshelves, only walls of honeycomb with round cubbyholes, each holding a plastic cylinder. At each of the four compass points, a ceramic statue stood on a pedestal. The statues were half-sized humans wearing kilts and sandals with glossy black wedge haircuts and black kohl – a sort of eyeliner that Egyptian queens and noblewomen would wear.

One statue held a stylus and scroll. Another held a box. Another held a short, hooked staff. The last was empty-handed.

“Look.” Carter pointed to the center of the room. Sitting on a long stone table was their father’s workbag.

Carter started down the stairs, but Sadie grabbed his arm. “Hang on. What about traps?”

He frowned. “Traps?”

She looked at the Doctor for confirmation. “Didn’t Egyptian tombs have traps?”

“Not booby traps, no,” The Doctor said, “But they had anti-theft countermeasures.”

“Anti-theft countermeasures?” Carter asked nervously.

“They didn’t work,” The Doctor shrugged. “Just false chambers, fake tunnels, blocked entrances, the Curse of the Pharaohs –”

“The  _ what?” _ Carter cried.

“Curse of the Pharaohs,” The Doctor said. “I’ve not actually figured that one out yet.”

“But what  _ is  _ it?” Sadie asked, intrigued.

“It was said that, ‘Cursed be those who disturb the rest of a Pharaoh. They that shall break the seal of this tomb shall meet death by a disease that no doctor can diagnose.’”

Carter looked horrified.

“Well, this isn’t a tomb.” Sadie said. “Come on.”

They made their way down the steps and finally stopped in the middle of the room. Carter opened the bag and brought out the box Julius Kane had used in the British Museum.

It was made of wood, the lid decorated much like the library with Egyptian gods, monsters, and sideways-walking people.

“How did the Egyptians move like that?” Sadie wondered aloud. “All sideways with their arms and legs out. It seems quite silly.”

Carter looked at her like she was an idiot. “They didn’t walk like that in real life, Sadie.”

“Well, why are they painted like that, then?”

“They thought paintings were like magic.” It was Carter who answered. “If you painted yourself, you had to show all your arms and legs. Otherwise, in the afterlife you might be reborn without all your pieces.”

“Then why the sideways faces?” Sadie asked. “They never look straight at you. Doesn’t that mean they’ll lose the other side of their face?”

“They were afraid that the picture would be too human if it was looking at them. It may try to become them. Quite right, I’m afraid.”

Carter’s eyes looked like they were about to pop out of his head.

“Is there anything they weren’t afraid of?” Sadie asked, already completely unphased by the Doctor.

“Little sisters,” Carter said. “If they talked too much, the Egyptians threw them to the crocodiles.”

Sadie nodded for a second, then scowled and punched him. “Just open the bloody box.”

He pulled out a lump of white gunk.

“Wax,” Carter announced.

“Fascinating.” The Doctor murmured as he picked up a wooden stylus and a palette with small indentations in its surface for ink, then a few glass jars of the ink itself – black, red, and gold. “A prehistoric painting set.”

Carter pulled out several lengths of brown twine, a small ebony cat statue, and a thick roll of papyrus. Sadie pulled out a wax figurine.

“Ew.” She said.

He was a tiny man, crudely fashioned – his arms crossed over his chest, his mouth open, and his legs cut off at the knees. A lock of human hair was wrapped around his waist.

Muffin jumped on the table and sniffed the man, interested.

“There’s nothing here,” Carter said.

“What do you want?” Sadie asked. “We’ve got wax, some toilet papyrus, an ugly statue –”

“Something happened to Dad.” Carter shot back. “How do we get him back? Who was that fiery man he summoned?”

Sadie held up the wax man. “You heard him, warty little troll. Tell us what you know.”

“I answer the call.” A voice soft and warm.

Sadie screamed and dropped him on his head.

“Ow!” He said.

Muffin came over to have a sniff, and the man started cursing  _ very  _ creatively in Ancient Egyptian.

“Muffin, you may want to pop off the table.” The Doctor said.

Muffin scowled at him – which was impressive for a cat – and hopped off the table.

“Thank you.” The man said. “That darn cat –”

“Who are you?” Carter asked.

“I’m a shabi, of course!” The figurine rubbed his dented head. “Master calls me Doughboy, though I find the name insulting. You may call me Supreme-Force-Who-Crushes-His-Enemies!”

“All right, Doughboy,” Sadie said.

He scowled at the girl. “You weren’t supposed to trigger me! Only the master does that.”

“Julius Kane, he’s your master, yeah?” The Doctor asked.

“That’s him,” the man grumbled. “Are we done yet? Have I fulfilled my service?”

“So, Doughboy,” Sadie said. “You were triggered when I picked you up and gave you a direct order: Tell us what you know. Is that correct?”

The tiny man crossed his stubby arms. “You’re just toying with me now. Of course that’s correct. Only the master is supposed to be able to trigger me, by the way. I don’t know how you did it, but he’ll blast you to pieces when he finds out.”

“It must be because he’s your father,” The Doctor murmured.

“Yeah, the master is our dad,” Carter said. “And he’s missing. He’s been magically sent away somehow and we need your help –”

“Master is gone?” The wax figure smiled so widely, the Doctor was afraid his wax face would split open. “Free at last! See you, suckers!”

He lunged for the end of the table but seemed to forget he had no feet and landed on his face. He began crawling towards the edge, dragging himself with his hands. “Free! Free!” He fell off the table and onto the floor with a thud, but that didn’t discourage him. “Free! Free!”

Sadie snatched him up off the floor and threw him in her father’s magic box.

Doughboy tried to get out, but the box was just tall enough that he couldn’t quite reach the rim.

“Trapped!” He wailed. “Trapped!”

“Oh, shut up,” Sadie snapped. “I’m the mistress now. And you’ll answer my questions.”

“Oi,” The Doctor grumbled, “You can’t just decide you’re his master –”

“Yeah, how come you get to be in charge?” Carter asked.

“That’s not what I meant…” The Doctor sighed.

“I’m in charge because I was smart enough to activate him.” Sadie said.

“You were just joking around!” Carter protested.

Sadie decided to ignore both boys. “Now, Doughboy, first off, what’s a shabti?”

“Will you let me out of the box if I tell you?”

“You have to tell me,” Sadie pointed out. “And no, I won’t.”

“Actually shabti means ‘answerer,’” The Doctor translated for him.

“Indeed.” Doughboy said sourly.

“Oh!” Carter snapped his fingers. “I remember now! The Egyptians made models out of wax or clay – servants to do every kind of job they could imagine in the afterlife. They were supposed to come to life when their master called, so the deceased person could, like, kick back and relax and let the shabti do all his work for eternity.”

“Oh, that’s very human.” The Doctor sighed. “For as much credit as I give you lot, you don’t like doing your own work.”

“Tell me about it.” Doughboy grumbled. “Lazing around while we do everything. And the afterlife work is only one function of ours! We are also used by magicians for a great number of things in life, because magicians would be total incompetents without us.”

“Why did Dad cut off your legs?” Sadie wondered, “and leave you with a mouth?”

“I –” Doughboy clapped his small hands over his mouth. “Oh, very funny. Threaten the wax statue. Big bully! He cut my legs off so I wouldn’t run away or come to life in perfect form and try to kill him, naturally. Magicians are very mean. They maim statues to control them. They are afraid of us!”

“Well, to be fair, you’d probably try to kill him if he made you perfectly.” The Doctor pointed out.

“Probably,” Doughboy admitted. “Are we done?”

“Not by half,” Sadie said. “What happened to our dad?”

Doughboy shrugged. “How should I know? But I see his wand and staff aren’t in the box.”

“No,” Carter said. “The staff – the thing that turned into a snake – it got incinerated. And the wand…is that the boomerang thing?”

“The boomerang thing?” Doughboy said. “Oh, gods of Eternal Egypt, you’re dense. Of course that’s his wand.”

“It god shattered,” Sadie said.

“Tell me how,” Doughboy demanded.

Carter told him what happened – the Doctor pitching in from time to time. Carter looked increasingly irritated with him. Sadie looked…concerned. As if she wasn’t quite sure that telling him this was such a good idea.

“This is wonderful!” Doughboy cried.

“Why?” Carter asked, “Is Dad still alive?”

“No!” Doughboy said. “He’s almost certainly dead. The five gods of the Demon Days released? Wonderful! And anyone who duels with the Red Lord –”

“Wait,” Sadie said. “I order you to tell me what happened.”

“Ha!” Doughboy said. “I only have to tell you what I know. Making an educated guess is a completely different task. I declare my service fulfilled!”

With that, he turned back into lifeless wax.

“Wait!” Sadie picked him up again and shook him. “Tell me your educated guess!”

Nothing happened.

“Well, that was interesting.” The Doctor said.

Sadie glared at him.

“Do you think he’s got a timer?” Carter suggested. “Like only once a day. Or maybe you broke him.”

“That’s not helpful.” Sadie grumbled.

Carter looked at the four ceramic statues on their pedestals. “Maybe…”

“There may be more shabti,” The Doctor murmured.

Sadie shrugged. “Worth a shot.”

If the statues were shabti, they didn’t show it. Not a single one answered the call.

Sadie was looking absolutely furious with the statues, so finally the Doctor managed to convince her to check out the cubby holes around the walls. Each plastic cylinder contained a papyrus scroll. Some looked new, some looked thousands of years old. Each canister was labeled in both hieroglyphs and English.

“The Book of the Heavenly Cow,” Carter read one. “What kind of name is that?”

“It’s a text about the rebellion of humanity against Ra – the sun god, and his destruction of the rebels through Hathor.” The Doctor told him.

“What about this one?” Sadie asked. “The Book of Slaying Apophis.”

_ “No!”  _ Muffin meowed from the corner, her tail puffed up.

“What’s wrong with her?” Sadie asked the Doctor.

“Apophis was a giant snake monster,” Carter muttered. “He was bad news.”

_ “Nope, nope, nope, nope.”  _ Muffin raced up the stairs, back into the Great Room.

Carter opened another scroll. “Hey, look at this.”

He’d found a papyrus that was quite long, and most of the text on it were lines of hieroglyphs.

“Doctor? Can you read it?”

“Of course I can.” The Doctor said indignantly.

“Then what does it say?” Sadie urged.

He read over the scroll. “Blood of the Pharaohs,” He murmured.

“What are the rest of the words?” Sadie asked. “And why can’t I read them?”

The Doctor hummed, “They’re names, see, they’re all written inside cartouches.”

“Excuse me?” Sadie asked.

“The circles,” It was Carter who explained. “They symbolize magic ropes. They’re supposed to protect the holder of the name from evil magic.”

“And likely from other magicians from reading their names.” The Doctor murmured. “Names are a powerful thing, you know.”

“Is that why you won’t tell us yours?” Sadie asked.

The Doctor hummed, though didn’t make it clear whether or not it was confirmation.

He then stopped and his gaze fixed on a name towards the bottom.

Carter followed his gaze and it landed on two simple symbols, a basket and a wave.

“KN,” Carter realized. “I know this one. It’s our name, KANE.”

Sadie frowned. “Missing a few letters, isn’t it?”

“Ancient Egyptian doesn’t use vowels,” The Doctor explained. “You have to use context to figure out each vowel sound.”

“They really were nutters.” Sadie said.

“Well, Arabic does the same thing.” The Doctor shrugged. “And so does Hebrew.”

“But this means it could be KON or IKON or KNEE or AKNE,” Sadie pointed out.

“But it’s not.” The Doctor said.

“And how do you know that?” Sadie demanded.

“Because I speak Ancient Egyptian.” The Doctor said as if it were obvious.

“But why are we in this list?” Carter asked. “And what is ‘blood of the pharaohs’?”

“There’s no way it says Kane.” Sadie insisted.

“Must be some kind of joke,” Carter agreed. “Nobody keeps family records that far back.”

The Doctor decided to leave the subject and they continued to look.

After a few minutes, Sadie called the Doctor and Carter over.

“What’s this, then?” She asked. It was a picture of five animal-headed gods in a row, with a starry female figure arching over them protectively.

The moment Carter’s eyes hit the picture his eyes lit up.

“That’s it!” He announced. “These five…and up here, their mother, Nut.”

Sadie laughed. “A goddess named Nut? Is her last name Case?”

“Nut was the goddess of the sky,” The Doctor gestured to the painted ceiling. “She was married to Geb, the earth god –”

“That would be this chap on the floor?” Sadie tapped her foot on the large green man.

“Yep,” The Doctor said, “Geb and Nut wanted to have children, but the king of the gods, Ra – god of the sun – heard of a prophecy. A child of Nut –”

“Child of Nut,” Sadie snickered. “Sorry, go on.”

“– a child of Nut and Geb would one day replace Ra as king. So when Ra learned that Nut was pregnant, Ra forbade Nut to give birth to her children on any day or night of the year.”

“So what,” Sadie crossed her arms. “She had to stay pregnant forever? That’s awfully mean.”

“No,” The Doctor said, “She set up a game of dice with the god of the moon, Khons. Each time he lost, he had to give Nut some of his moonlight. He lost so many times, Nut won enough moonlight to create five new days and add them to the end of the year.”

“Oh, please,” Sadie said. “First, how can you gamble moonlight? And if you did, how could you make extra days out of it?”

“Well, it wasn’t actually that simple, but this is the way the Egyptians understood it,” The Doctor said. “Their calendar had three hundred and sixty days in the year, and Nut created five days and added them to the end – days that were not a part of the regular year. These were the Demon Days.”

“So the myth explains why a year has three hundred and sixty five days.” Sadie said. “And I suppose she had her children –”

“One during each Demon Day,” The Doctor nodded.

“Again, how do you have five children in a row, each on a different day?”

“Bloody humans, always assuming that everyone is just like you.” The Doctor rolled his eyes. “Different species, different reproductive systems.”

“Okay, okay, please go on.” Sadie said.

“When Ra found out, he was furious, but it was too late. The children were already born. There was Osiris –”

“The one Dad was after.” Sadie said.

“Horus, Set, Isis, and Nephthys.” The Doctor nodded.

“The fiery man in the museum said Dad had released all five.” Carter said. “What if they were imprisoned together and Dad didn’t realize it? They were born together, so maybe they had to be summoned back into the world together.”

“That would make sense.” Sadie admitted. She then frowned, looking over the Doctor’s shoulder. “Why can’t I read the scroll?”

“It’s written in hieratic,” Carter said. “That’s like hieroglyphic cursive.”

“Oh.”

“I just wish I could find the story in English.” Carter admitted. “Y’know, just so I could read it for myself.”

Just then there was a cracking noise behind them. The empty-handed clay statue hopped off his pedestal and marched towards them. The Doctor pulled Carter and Sadie out of the way, but the statue walked straight past, grabbing a cylinder from its cubbyhole and bringing it to Carter.

“It’s a retrieval shabti,” Sadie realized. “A clay librarian!”

Carter swallowed nervously and took the cylinder. “Um…thanks.”

The statue marched back to his pedestal, jumped on, and hardened again back into ordinary clay.

“I wonder…” Sadie faced the shabti. “Sandwich and chips, please!”

None of the statues jumped down to serve the girl.

The Doctor shrugged. “Maybe food’s not allowed in the library.”

Carter uncapped the cylinder and unrolled the papyrus. He sighed with relief. “This version is in English.”

After a few minutes of the two children reading the story, they both looked back up.

“One of these guys,” Carter said slowly, “Set, he was a really bad dude. Like, the villain of Egyptian mythology. The god of evil and chaos and desert storms.”

Sadie shivered. “Do you think he has something to do with fire?”

Carter pointed to one of the figures in the picture. The god had an unplaceable animal head – a sort of ant-eater snout with rabbit ears.

“The Red Lord.” Sadie said.

“Those Demon Days were bad luck in Ancient Egypt.” Carter said. “You had to be careful, wear good luck charms, and not do anything important or dangerous on those days. And in the British Museum, Dad told Set: They’ll stop you before the Demon Days are over.”

“Surely you don’t think he meant us,” Sadie said. “We’re supposed to stop this Set character?”

Carter nodded. “And if the last five days of our calendar year still count as the Egyptian Demon Days –”

“They do.” The Doctor assured them.

“That means they’d start on December 27, the day after tomorrow.”

There was a long stretch of silence. The Doctor hated this bit, when children were sent on deadly quests by parents or gods. They weren’t ready.

There was suddenly a loud crash in the Great Room, and Khufu began barking in alarm.

The three children exchanged a look and bolted for the stairs.


	7. Another Bloody Goddess

Khufu was going mad.

He was swinging from column to column, bouncing along the balconies, overturning pots and statues. He ran back to the terrace windows, stared outside for a moment, and proceeded to go mental again. 

Muffin was also at the window. She crouched on all fours with her tail twitching as if she were stalking something.

“Perhaps it’s just a passing flamingo,” Sadie suggested hopefully.

The Doctor raised an eyebrow, and they continued their run to the glass doors.

For a moment, he saw nothing, and then water exploded from the pool, and two enormous creatures were thrashing about with Philip of Macedonia, the crocodile.

Suddenly, something slammed against doors right in front of them. Sadie and Carter cried out and jumped back, the Doctor looked through the doors to see a creature with the body of the leopard with golden spotted fur, but her neck was green and scaly, at least as long as the rest of her body. She had the head of a feline, but not of an ordinary cat – had glowing red eyes, and as it turned towards the trio of children, she howled, revealing a forked tongue and fangs dripping with green venom. It was a serpopard.

Carter was shaking and whimpering. Sadie was staring in a combination of shock and fascination.

The serpopard jumped back into the pool to join its companion. Philip was spinning and snapping but seemed unable to hurt his attackers.

The Doctor hesitated, he needed to go out and help Philip, but Amos had warned them not to open the door under any circumstances. He couldn’t risk Carter and Sadie like that.

“We have to help Philip!” Sadie cried, “He’ll be killed!” But it was the Carter who pulled her back.

“Sadie, no! You heard Amos. We can’t open the door for any reason. The house is protected by magic. Philip will have to beat them on his own.”

Sadie turned to the Doctor, as if waiting for him to jump to her defence. When he said nothing, she turned back to Carter.

“But what if he can’t? Philip!”

The old crocodile turned. For a moment, his pink reptilian eye focused on Sadie. Then the serpopards bit at his underbelly and Philip rose up so that only the tip of his tail still touched the water. His body began to glow. A low hum filled the air.

When Philip came down, he slammed into the terrace with all his might.

The entire house shook. Cracks appeared in the concrete terrace outside, and the swimming pool split right down the middle as the far end crumbled into empty space.

Sadie cried out, “No!”

But the edge of the terrace ripped free, plunging both Philip and the serpopards straight into the East River.

The Doctor cast his eyes to the floor. Yet someone else he couldn’t save.

“He sacrificed himself.” Sadie whispered, “He killed the monsters.”

“What if…What if he didn’t?” Carter’s voice was faint. “What if they come back?”

“Don’t say that!”

“Those creatures…”

“Serpopards.” The Doctor murmured. “They were serpopards.”

“I recognize them,” Carter said. “Come on.”

The Doctor silently followed Carter and Sadie back to the library. Sadie kept glancing back at him, but he didn’t bother to look up.

Carter marched up to the shabti who’d helped them before. “Bring me the…gah, what’s it called?”

“What?” Sadie asked.

“Something Dad showed me. It’s a big stone plate or something. Had a picture of the first pharaoh, the guy who united Upper and Lower Egypt into one kingdom. His name…”

“Narmer.” The Doctor remembered, “And it’s not a plate, it’s a palette.”

“Oh,” Carter glanced at the Doctor, seemingly noticing his change in demeanor. “Uh, thanks.” He turned to the shabti, “Bring me the Narmer Palette!”

The empty-handed shabti didn’t move, but across the room, the statue with the small hook came to life. He jumped off his pedestal and disappeared into a cloud of dust. A heartsbeat later, he reappeared on the table. At his feet were a wedge of flat gray stone in the shape of a shield.

“No!” Carter protested. “I meant a picture of it! Oh great, I think this is the real artifact. The shabti must’ve stolen it from the Cairo Museum. We’ve got to return –”

“Hang on,” Sadie said. “We might as well have a look.”

The Doctor plucked it from Carter’s hand and examined it. It had been a long time since he’d seen the thing. The surface of the stone was carved with the picture of a man with a crown – Narmer – grabbing another man by the hair, ready to strike down upon him with a mace.

“That’s Narmer with the spoon,” Sadie guessed. “Angry because another bloke stole his breakfast cereal?”

The Doctor cracked a smile. “Yes, that’s Narmer. And no, that’s not a spoon, it’s a mace. That man right there,” He gestured to the second man, “He represents Lower Egypt. And right there,” He placed his finger below the two symbols behind the second man’s head, “That says first water – it was Narmer’s first battle in a watery area.”

“That bit looks like a bowling pin.” Sadie observed, pointing at Narmer’s hat.

Carter rolled his eyes, snatching back the artifact from the Doctor.

“He looks like Dad, doesn’t he?”

“Sadie,” Carter wined, “Be serious!”

“I am serious. Look at his profile.”

Carter elected to ignore the girl. The Doctor just shrugged. It did look quite a bit like their father. Carter examined the stone. “I need to see the back –”

“This is the back.” The Doctor said.

“What?”

“You want to see the front. This is the back.”

“Fine, whatever,” Carter grumbled. “I want to see the  _ front,”  _ He gave the Doctor a pointed look, “but I don’t want to turn it over. We might damage –”

Sadie grabbed the stone and flipped it over.

“Sadie!” Carter cried. “You could’ve broken it!”

“That’s what mend spells are for, yes?” Sadie pointed out.

As they examined the palette, the Doctor could see the two serpopards stood in the center of the palette, their necks entwined, two men with ropes on either side.

“The men here are trying to tie together the necks of the serpopards,” The Doctor explained. “And see how the circular bit between the serpopards’ necks is a bit deeper than the palette’s surface? That indicates a place where a cosmetic was put in. This wasn’t a ceremonial palette, it was for grinding and mixing minerals for different makeups.”

“What  _ are  _ the serpopards, though?” Sadie asked.

“They were a symbol of the chaos that lies beyond Egypt’s borders,” The Doctor explained, “That’s why it’s usually depicted as being conquered or restrained.”

“Dad thought that too,” Carter nodded. “Apparently they’ve been around forever. I mean, this stone is one of the oldest artifacts from Egypt. Those pictures were carved five thousand years ago.”

“So why are five thousand year old monsters attacking our house?” Sadie asked.

“Last night, in Phoenix, the fiery man ordered his servants to capture us.” Carter murmured. “He said to send the longnecks first.”

“Well…” Sadie said nervously, “Good thing they’re at the bottom of the East River.”

Just then, Khufu rushed into the library, screaming and slapping his head.

“Suppose I shouldn't have said that,” Sadie muttered.

The Doctor nodded in agreement.

Carter told the shabti to return the Narmer Palette, and both statue and stone disappeared. They then followed the baboon upstairs.

The serpopards were back, their fur wet and slimy from the river, and they weren’t happy. They prowled the broken ledge of the terrace, their long necks whipping around as they sniffed the doors, looking for a way in. They spit poison that steamed and bubbled on the glass. Their forked tongues darted in and out.

_ “Release her! Release her!”  _ Khufu picked up Muffin, who was sitting on the sofa and offered Sadie her cat.

“I really don’t think that will help.” Sadie told him.

_ “RELEASE HER!”  _ Khufu insisted.

Sadie glanced at the Doctor, who just shrugged. "He says, 'release her.'"

Sadie shrugged back and picked Muffin up.

_ “You good?”  _ Muffin asked.

“It’ll be all right,” Sadie promised. “The house is protected by magic.”

_ “I wasn’t asking about  _ me. _ ”  _ Muffin sighed.

“Uh…guys,” Carter said. “They’ve found something.”

The Doctor turned back to the serpopards who had converged at the left-hand door and were intently sniffing the handle.

“Isn’t it locked?” Sadie asked.

Both creatures smashed their faces against the glass. The door shuddered. Blue hieroglyphs glowed along the doorframe, but their light was faint.

“I don’t like this,” Carter murmured.

With any luck, the serpopards would give up, or perhaps Philip of Macedonia would return to renew the fight. But neither of those things happened.

Instead, the creatures smashed their heads against the glass again. This time a web of cracks appeared. The blue hieroglyphs flickered and died.

_ “Help! Help!”  _ Khufu screamed, waving his hand vaguely at Muffin.

The Doctor instinctively pushed the children behind him.

“Maybe if I try the ha-di spell,” Sadie suggested.

Carter shook his head. “You almost fainted after you blew up those doors. I don’t want you passing out, or worse.”

To the Doctor’s surprise and irritation, the boy then tugged a sword from one of Amos’s wall displays. It was a khopesh – an Ancient Egyptian sword that was designed specifically to disarm an enemy by hooking the weapon. It was about a half meter long with a curved sickle-like blade.

“Bloody hell, of course you’d do that.” The Doctor groaned.

“Well have you got a better idea?” He demanded.

“Yes, as a matter of fact.”

“What is it then?”

“Well, I haven’t thought of it yet.” The Doctor admitted. “But I know it requires you to put the sword down.”

“I –” The boy was trembling, his eyes locked on the serpopards outside.

The serpopards then struck a third time, and the door shattered. The Doctor, his arms out and keeping the children back, pushed them backwards until they hit the foot of Thoth’s statue. The creatures stalked into the Great Room. Khufu threw his basketball, which bounced harmlessly off the first serpopard’s head. Then he launched himself at the creature.

“No!” The Doctor shouted at the baboon, but he sunk his fangs into the serpopard’s neck. The creature lashed around, trying to bite him. Khufu leapt off, but the creature was quick. They used their head and bashed into Khufu, sending him flying straight through the shattered door, over the broken terrace, and into the void.

The Doctor wanted to run after him, but there wasn’t time. The serpopards were coming towards them.

Despite the Doctor’s protests, Carter raised his sword. Sadie pointed her hand at one of them. The Doctor raised his Sonic in the air.

_ “You all look ridiculous.”  _ Muffin decided.  _ “Brave? Perhaps. But absolutely ridiculous.” _

“Oi.” The Doctor frowned at the feline.

Then, Sadie’s eyes illuminated – the spark of an idea. “M-muffin,” She stammered. “I order you to protect us.”

She tossed the cat on the floor. For a single moment, the silver pendant on her collar seemed to gleam. Then, she arched her back leisurely, sat down, and began licking a front paw.

Then, just as the two red-eyed creatures bared their fangs, raised their heads and prepared to strike, an explosion of dry air blasted through the room, knocking the Doctor, Carter, and Sadie into a pile on the floor.

The serpopards stumbled and backed away.

As the Doctor jumped back to his feet, he realized that the center of the blast had been none other than Muffin. But the cat was no longer there. In her place was a woman – small and lithe, built like a gymnast. Her jet-black hair was tied back in a ponytail, and she wore a skin-tight leopard jumpsuit and Muffin’s pendant around her neck.

She turned and grinned at the children. Her eyes were still Muffin’s – yellow with black feline pupils.

“About time,” She chided Sadie.

The serpopards seemed to get over their shock and charged at the feline woman. Their heads struck with lightning speed and by all logic should have ripped her in two, but the woman leapt straight up, flipped three times, and landed above them, perching on the mantel.

She flexed her wrists, and two enormous knives shot out from her sleeves and into her hands. “A-a-ah, fun!” The creatures charged. She launched herself between them, dancing and dodging with incredible grace, letting them lash at her futilely whilst she threaded their necks together. When she stepped away, the serpopards were hopelessly intertwined. The more they struggled, the tighter the knots became. They trampled back and forth, knocking over furniture and roaring in frustration.

“Poor things,” She purred. “Let me help.”

Her knives flashed and the two creatures’ heads thudded to the floor at her feet. Their bodies collapsed and dissolved into sand.

“So much for my playthings,” The woman said sadly. “From sand they come,a dn to sand they return.” She turned towards the trio and the knives shot back into her sleeves. “Carter, Sadie, Doctor, we should leave. Worse will be coming.”

“Isn’t it always?” The Doctor sighed.

But Carter made a choking sound. “Worse? Who – how – what –”

“All in good time.” The woman stretched her arms above her head with great satisfaction. “So good to be in human form again! Now, Sadie, can you open us a door through the Duat, please?”

Sadie blinked. “Um…no. I mean – I don’t know how.”

The woman narrowed her eyes, clearly disappointed. “Shame. We’ll need more power then. An obelisk.”

“But that’s in London,” Sadie protested. “We can’t –”

“There’s a nearer one in Central Park.” The woman said. “I try to avoid Manhattan, but this is an emergency. We’ll just pop over and open a portal.”

“Brilliant. I love Central Park.” The Doctor grinned.

“Wait, a portal to where?” Sadie demanded. “Who are you, and why are you my cat?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” The Doctor asked.

“No, it’s not!” Sadie cried.

“Look at the pendant around her neck,” The Doctor pointed out. “Don’t you recognize that symbol?”

“You’re Bast.” Carter stared at the woman. “The goddess of cats.”

“Very good, Carter.” Bast said. “As for the portal, at the moment, we just want a portal out of danger. Now come, while we can still make it out of here alive.”


	8. A Really Strange Car Chase

Bast didn’t waste much time, ordering Carter to the library to grab his father’s magic kit.

“What about Khufu and Philip of Macedonia?” Sadie demanded once Carter had returned. “We have to go find them.”

“They’ll be fine,” Bast promised.

“But what if they’re not?” She cried. “We have to search for them!”

“They’ll be  _ fine,” _ Bast repeated. “However, we will not be, unless we leave now.”

Sadie raised her hand, “Um, excuse me, Miss Goddess Lady? Amos told us the house was –”

“Safe?” Bast snorted. “Carter, the defenses were too easily breached. Someone sabotaged them.”

“What d’you mean?” The Doctor demanded. “Who sabotaged them?”

“Only a magician of the House could’ve done it.”

“Another magician?” Carter asked. “Why would another magician want to sabotage Amos’s house?”

“Oh, Carter,” Bast sighed. “So young and innocent. Magicians are devious creatures. Could be a million reasons why one would backstab another, but we don’t have time to discuss it. Now come on!” She grabbed Sadie and Carter and led them to the front door, the Doctor right behind.

The wind was whipping around them as they climbed down a long flight of metal stairs into the industrial yard that surrounded the factory.

The Doctor glanced around for more monsters, but the yard seemed abandoned. Old construction equipment lay in rusting heaps – a bulldozer, a crane with a wrecking ball, a couple cement mixers. Piles of sheet metal and stacks of crates made a maze of obstacles between the house and street thirty meters away.

They were halfway across the yard when an old gray tomcat stepped into their path. One of his ears were torn and his left eye was swollen shut.

Bast crouched and started up at the cat.

_ “May I assist you, Lady Bast?”  _ The cat asked.

_ “Ah, Princeton, splendid. Spread the news of our…predicament,”  _ Bast instructed.  _ “Keep on high alert.” _

_ “Of course, my Lady.” _ The Princeton the tomcat trotted off towards the river.

“What was that about?” Sadie asked.

“He was offering to help,” The Doctor said. “One of your subjects?”

“Yes, he was.” Bast examined the Doctor. “You know much.”

“Well, I speak cat.” The Doctor shrugged.

“He was so battered,” Sadie said. “If he’s your subject, couldn’t you heal him?”

“And take away his marks of honour?” Bast frowned. “Sadie, a cat’s battle scars are a part of his identity. I couldn’t –”

Suddenly, Bast tensed. She pushed the three children behind a stack of crates.

“What is it?” The Doctor whispered.

The goddess flexed her wrists and her knives slid into her hands.

“Are those really necessary?” The Doctor asked.

Bast ignored him, peering over the top of the crates, every muscle in her body trembling. The Doctor peered over next to her, but saw nothing but the old wrecking-ball crane.

Bast’s mouth twitched with excitement. Her eyes were fixed on the massive metal ball.

“There’s no way…” Carter whispered, seemingly noticing the same thing.

“This could be it.” Bast hissed, shifting her weight. “Stay very very still.”

“There’s no one there,” Sadie said.

Carter started to stay, “Um…”

Bast lunged over the crates. She flew ten meters in the air, knives flashing, and landed on the wrecking ball with such force that she broke the chain. The cat goddess and large metal sphere smashed into the dirt and went rolling across the yard.

“Rowww!” Bast wailed. The wrecking ball rolled straight over her, but she didn’t appear hurt. She leapt off and pounced again. Her knives sliced through the metal like wet clay. Within seconds, the wrecking ball was reduced to a mound of scrap metal.”

Bast sheathed her blades. “Safe now!”

The Doctor, Carter, and Sadie exchanged a look.

“You saved us from a metal ball,” Sadie said.

“You never know,” Bast said. “It could’ve been hostile.”

Just then a deep  _ Boom!  _ Shook the ground. The Doctor glanced back at the mansion only to see tendrils of blue fire curled from the top windows.

“Come on,” Bast said. “Our time is up!”

The Doctor had expected Bast to whisk them off by magic, or perhaps hail a cab, but instead, the goddess decided to borrow a silver Lexus convertible.

“Oh, yes,” She purred. “I like this one! Come along, children.”

“But this isn’t yours,” Carter pointed out.

“My dear, I’m a cat. Everything I see is mine.” She touched the engine and the keyhole sparked. The engine began to hum.

“Bast,” Carter said, “You can’t just –”

Sadie elbowed her brother. “We’ll work out how to return it later, Carter. Right now we’ve got an emergency.”

She pointed back towards the mansion. Blue flames and smoke was now billowing from every window. And that wasn’t the worst part – coming down the stairs were four men carrying an oversized coffin with long handles sticking out on both ends. The box was covered with a black shroud and looked large enough for at least two bodies. The four men wore only kilts and sandals. Their coppery skin glinted in the sun as if made of metal.

“Well, that’s probably not good.” The Doctor observed.

Bast turned to notice them. “Oh, that  _ is  _ bad,” Bast said. “In the car, please.”

The Doctor decided now was not the time to ask questions. Sadie shot into the front seat, so the Doctor and Carter climbed in back. The four metallic men with the box were racing across the yard, coming directly at them at a truly impressive speed.

Before the Doctor had even got his seatbelt on, Bast floored the gas.

They tore through the streets of Brooklyn, weaving through traffic, riding over sidewalks, narrowly missing pedestrians.

Bast’s reflexes were…well, catlike. Had she been human, they would’ve crashed a dozen times, but she managed to get them safely onto the Williamsburg Bridge.

The Doctor looked back, only to see the four copper men weaving in and out of traffic. They appeared to be jogging at a normal pace, but they passed cars that were doing eighty kilometers per hour. Their bodies blurred as they weaved in and out, and the Doctor could feel the disturbance in time. Nothing big, just a slight push, as if prodding to see what would happen.

“What are they?” Carter asked, staring at the men as well. “Shabti?”

“No, carriers.” Bast glanced in the rearview mirror. “Summoned straight from the Duat. They’ll stop at nothing to find their victims, throw them in the sedan –”

“The what?” Sadie interrupted.

“The sedan chair,” The Doctor explained. “That box, it’s sort of like a carriage. Pharoah’s used to ride in them.”

“Except that one you can’t get out of.” Bast said. “The carriers capture you, beat you senseless, throw you in, and carry you back to their master. They never lose their prey, and they never give up.”

The Doctor glanced back at the copper men. “Lovely.”

“What do they want us for?” Sadie asked.

“Trust me,” Bast growled, “you don’t want to know.”

“I actually would like to know –” The Doctor tried, but Carter cut her off.

“Bast, if you’re a goddess, can't you just snap your fingers and disintegrate those guys? Or wave your hand and teleport us away?”

“Wouldn’t that be nice?” Bast sighed. “But my power in this host is limited.”

“You mean Muffin?” Sadie asked. “But you’re not a cat anymore.”

“She’s still the host, isn’t she?” The Doctor guessed. “This is your anchor on the other side of the Duat. Sadie’s call for help must’ve allowed for you to take a more humanoid shape, but that must take a massive amount of power.”

“Yes, it does,” Bast agreed. “And unfortunately, even when I’m in a powerful host, Set’s magic is stronger than mine.”

“Could either of you please say something I actually understand?” Carter pleaded.

“Carter, we don’t have time for a full discussion on gods and hosts and the limits of magic!” Bast said. “We have to get you to safety.”

The goddess floored the accelerator once more and shot up the middle of the bridge. The four carriers with the sedan chair were racing after them.

“How can people not see them?” Carter asked. “Don’t they notice four copper men in skirts running up the bridge with a weird black box?”

“That’ll be the Mist.” The Doctor said.

“Not quite,” Bast admitted. “For the Greeks and Romans, yes, but not the Egyptians.”

“Of course it’s not.” The Doctor sighed. “Nothing’s ever simple, is it?”

“No, it never is.” Bast agreed. “And you, Carter and Sadie, are born to magic. This makes it all the more easy.”

“Born to magic?” Carter asked. “If magic, like, runs in the family, why haven’t I ever been able to do it before?”

Bast smiled in the mirror. “Your sister understands.”

Sadie’s ears turned red. “No, I don’t! I still can’t believe you’re a goddess. All these years, you’ve been eating crunchy treats, sleeping on my head –”

“I made a deal with your father,” Bast said. “He let me remain in the world as long as I assumed a minor form, a normal house cat, so I could protect and watch over you.. It was the least I could do after –” She halted abruptly.

There was a cold pause.

“After our mom’s death?” Carter guessed.

Bast stared straight ahead out the windshield.

“That’s it, isn’t it?” Carter said. “Dad and Mom did some kind of magic ritual at Cleopatra’s Needle. Something went wrong. Our mom died and…and they released you?”

“That’s not important right now,” Bast said, and from the sound of her tone, it was really very important. “The point is, I agreed to look after Sadie. And I will.”

She was most definitely hiding something.

“Right.” The Doctor said skeptically.

“If you gods are so powerful and helpful,” Carter said. “Why does the House of Life forbid magicians from summoning you?”

Bast swerved into the fast lane. Magicians are paranoid. Your best hope is to stay with me. We’ll get as far away as possible from New York. Then we’ll get help and challenge Set.”

“What help is that, then?” The Doctor asked.

Bast raised an eyebrow at the Time Lord. “Why, we’ll summon more gods, of course.”

They barreled off the Williamsburg bridge, into Manhattan, and headed north on Clinton Street, the Doctor mildly irritated at the sheer number of gods he was going to have to deal with now. Bloody gods, always getting in the middle of his adventures.

“They’re still following.” Sadie warned.

Sure enough, the carriers were only a block behind them, weaving around cars and trampling over sidewalk displays.

“We’ll buy some more time.” Bast let out a growl so deep in her throat that it resonated through the Lexus. She yanked the wheel and swerved right onto East Houston.

Behind them, the Doctor could see, just as the carriers turned the corner, a horde of cats materializing all around them.

Some jumped from the windows, others from the sidewalks and alleys, and even others from the storm drains. All of them converged on the carries in a wave of fur and claws – climbing up their copper legs, scratching their backs, clinging to their faces, and weighing down the sedan chair. The carriers stumbled, dropping the box. They began blindly swatting at the cats. Two cars swerved to avoid the animals and collided, blocking the entire street, and the carriers swerved to avoid the animals and collided, blocking the entire street, and the carriers went down under the mass of felines. 

Bast turned the Lexus on FDR Drive, and the scene disappeared from view.

“It appears that Princeton came through.” The Doctor observed.

“Of course,” Bast scoffed. “He’s one of  _ my  _ subjects.” She swerved the car again, “But they won’t hold them long. Now – Central Park!”

The Doctor grinned madly as the car spun so fast around the corner that they nearly flipped over. “Allons-y!”

They ditched the Lexus at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

“We’ll run from here,” Bast decided. “It’s just behind the museum.”

When she said run, she really did mean it. The Doctor, Sadie, and Carter were all forced to sprint to keep up with Bast, who was bounding down the street.

“Bloody short legs.” The Doctor cursed as he sprinted down. They were much taller than they had been a few years ago, but he still wasn’t the 6’1 he used to be.

They ran through the park on East Drive, and as soon as they turned north, the obelisk loomed above them. It was just a touch over twenty meters tall. It was tucked away on a grassy hill. No one was around apart from a couple joggers further down the path.

They stopped at the obelisk’s base. Bast sniffed the air – the same way satyrs and cyclopes would do to sense monsters. Brilliant.

Sadie shivered. “I wish I’d grabbed something warmer. A wool coat would be nice.”

“No, it wouldn’t,” Bast said, scanning the horizon. “You’re dressed for magic.” Sadie shivered. “We have to freeze to be magical?”

“Magicians avoid animal products,” Bast said absently. “Fur, leather, wool, any of that. The residual life aura can interfere with spells.”

“My boots seem all right,” Sadie noted.

“Leather,” Bast said with distaste. “You may have a higher tolerance, so a bit of leather won’t bother your magic. I don’t know. But linen clothing is always best, or cotton – plant material. At any rate, Sadie, I think we’re clear for the moment. There’s a window of auspicious time starting right now, at eleven thirty, but it won’t last long. Get started.”

Sadie blinked. “Me? Why me? You’re the goddess!”

“I’m not good at portals,” Bast shrugged. “Cats are protectors. Just control your emotions. Panic or fear will kill a spell. We have to get out of here before Set summons the other gods to his cause.”

Carter frowned. “You mean Set’s got, like, other evil gods on speed dial?”

“Nothing’s evil, Carter.” The Doctor sighed. “The Egyptians believe that the universe is controlled by the two forces of chaos and order, not so much ‘good’ and ‘evil.’”

“But you disagree?” Carter frowned. 

“I know better,” The Doctor said. “The universe is full of shades of gray, nothing could possibly be as simple as one or the other. Yes, order is important, but too much order can stifle creativity and progress. Sometimes a little bit of chaos is exactly what the universe needs. But too much chaos is never a good thing – it’s a spectrum, and there has to be a balance.”

“But – but what about the other gods Dad released?” Carter persisted. “Where on the spectrum are they?”

Bast was about to reply when a  Siamese cat broke through the bushes and ran up to Bast.

_ “My Lady, the carriers approach, and…something is coming.” _

_ “What is coming?”  _ Bast demanded.

_ “We do not know,”  _ The feine admitted,  _ “I…do not know quite how to describe it. But it is much stronger than the carriers. You must go – quickly!” _

_ “Very well, thank you.” _ Bast dismissed the Siamese cat, and she dashed away.

“The carriers are close,” The Doctor murmured. “And what she saw…” He glanced at Bast. “Do you know what it is?”

“I think,” Bast said slowly. “The carriers’ master has grown impatient.”

“Set is coming?” Carter gasped.

“No,” Bast said. “Perhaps a minion. Or an ally. My cats are having trouble describing what they’re seeing, and I don’t want to find out. Sadie, now is the time. Just concentrate on opening a gateway to the Duat. I’ll keep off the attackers. Combat magic is my specialty.”

“Like what you did in the mansion?” Carter asked.

Bast grinned, revealing her pointed teeth. “Now, that was just combat.”

“Just…try not to kill anyone, please.” The Doctor sighed. 

The manic look in Bast’s eyes was not encouraging.

The woods rustled, and the carriers emerged. Their sedan chair’s shroud had been shredded by cat claws. The carriers themselves were scratched and dented. One walked with a limp, his leg bent backwards at the knee. Another had a car fender wrapped around his neck.

The four metal men carefully sat down their sedan chair. They looked at the group and drew golden metal clubs from their belts.

“Sadie, get to work,” Bast ordered. “Carter, you’re welcome to help me. Doctor…” She raised an eyebrow. “Try not to get yourself killed.”

“Brilliant, thanks.” The Doctor grumbled.

Bast unsheathed her knives and her body began to glow with a green hue. An aura surrounded her, growing larger and lifting the goddess off the ground. The arua took shape until Bast was encased in a holographic projection about four times her ordinary size. It was an image of the goddess in her ancient form – a six meter tall woman with the head of a cat. Floating in midair in the center of the hologram, Bast stepped forth. The massive cat goddess moved with her. The foot shook the ground as it hit, and Bast raised her hand. The glowing green warrior did the same, unsheathing claws as long and sharp as rapiers.

Bast swiped the sidewalk in front of her and shredded the pavement to concrete ribbons. She turned and grinned at the children. The Doctor watched as the cat head did likewise, bearing sickeningly sharp fangs that could’ve easily bitten the Time Lord in half.

“This,” Bast said, “Is combat magic.”

Bast launched her massive green claws into the middle of the carriers. She slashed one carrier to pieces with a single swipe, then stepped on another and flattened him. The other two carriers attacked her holographic legs, but their metal clubs bounced harmlessly off the ghostly light with showers of sparks.

The Doctor had made his way to Sadie’s side. She was standing before the obeliks, her arms raised, shouting, “Open, you stupid piece of rock!”

“You’ve got to be calm and concentrate.”

“I’m trying!” Sadie snapped.

From the corner of his eye, the Doctor could see Carter running up, sword at the ready, as Bast sliced the last two carriers apart. They suddenly began to reform, the flat one peeling himself from the pavement, the sliced ones’ pieces clicking together like magnets, and the carriers standing up, good as new.

“Carter, help me hack them apart!” Bast called. “They need to be in smaller pieces!”

“Come on, Sadie,” The Doctor encouraged. “Clear your mind and focus.”

“Well maybe I could if you weren’t nagging in my ear!” She growled.

After another couple minutes, Bast and Carter had smashed the carriers and their sedan to rubble.

“That wasn’t so hard,” Carter said as he and Bast made their way back towards Sadie and the Doctor. “What were we running for?”

Inside her glowing shell, Bast’s face was coated in sweat and she was breathing heavily.

“We’re not safe yet,” She warned. “Sadie, how’s it coming?”

“It’s not,” Sadie complained. “Isn’t there another way?”

Before Bast could answer, the bushes rustled with a new sound – something like rain, but more…slithery.

The Doctor glanced at Bast, who was staring in shock.

“No,” the goddess murmured. “It can’t be. Not her.”

“Who?” The Doctor demanded, but just then the bushes exploded and thousands of brown arachnids poured from the woods in a carpet of pincers and stinging tails. Scorpions. Of course. Why not?

“Sadie?” The Doctor called hopefully.

“Nothing!” Sadie said through gritted teeth.

“We’re gonna die!” Carter moaned.

The scorpions kept coming – thousands upon thousands. Out of the woods, a woman appeared, walking fearlessly through the middle of the creatures. She wore brown robes with golden jewelry that glittered around her neck and arms. Her long black hair ended just below the shoulders and instead of a crown, she had a life, massive scorpion nestling on her head. Millions of smaller ones swirled around her.

“Serqet,” Bast growled.

“The scorpion goddess,” Carter guessed. “Can you take her?”

The expression on Bast’s face was not reassuring.

“Doctor, take them to the museum, there’s a temple there that may protect you. This is going to get ugly.”

“What temple?” Carter asked.

_ “May  _ protect us?” The Doctor asked skeptically.

“And what about you?” Sadie added.

“I’ll be fine. I’ll catch up.” Bast insisted, but the Doctor could see a glimpse of uncertainty in her eye. She was just buying them time.

“Come on.” The Doctor grabbed the Kane siblings and they sprinted for the museum.


	9. A New Friend (Hopefully)

The three children raced to the entrance of the museum. Well, the Doctor was somewhat dragging Sadie behind him.

“We can’t just leave Bast!” Sadie was shouting. “Look!”

A mass of scorpions had crawled up Bast’s glowing green legs and were wriggling in the hologram. Bast smashed hundreds of them with her feet and fists, but there were just too many of them. Soon they were up to her waist, and her ghostly shell began to flicker. All the while, the brown-robed goddess was advancing slowly.

The Doctor wanted to go back for the goddess, he really did, but his first priority had to be keeping the Kane siblings safe – since they clearly couldn’t do it themselves.

The Doctor pulled the two siblings through a row of bushes and lost sight of Bast. They burst onto Fifth Avenue and sprinted down the pavement and up the steps of the Met.

The children sprinted through the massive entry hall – there were loads of queues for ticket windows and some signs about a Christmas event, but no one spent much time reading. Security guards yelled as they ran past and into the exhibits. Somehow, they managed to end up in the Egyptian portion, standing before a reconstructed tomb with narrow corridors.

“Right, Allons-y!” The Doctor grinned.

“I wish you’d stop that.” Sadie grumbled.

“Stop what?” The Doctor asked innocently.

“Pretending this is going to go well.” She said.

“Come on,” Carter sighed, stepping into the exhibit, quickly followed by the Doctor and Sadie.

They ducked inside the exhibit, which seemed to lose the security guards for the time being.

When they popped out again, Carter insisted they sneak around a bit, just to be sure they weren’t being followed. The Egypt wing wasn’t crowded – just a few clumps of older people and a fourign tour group with a guide explaining a sarcophagus in French.

They got a few odd looks from the older people, likely due to the fact that Sadie and Carter were dressed in linen pajamas, and all three of them were covered in grass and leaves.

Sadie suddenly pulled the Doctor and Carter into an empty room. She kept glancing at the glass cases full of shabti, waiting for one to jump to life.

“What now?” She asked the boys. “Did either of you see any temple.”

“Nope,” The Doctor shrugged.

“Me neither.” Carter admitted. He knit his eyebrows as if trying hard to remember. “I think there’s a rebuilt temple down that hall…or is that in the Brooklyn Museum? Maybe the one in Munich? Sorry. I’ve been to so many museums with Dad that they all get mixed together.”

Sadie sighed with exasperation. “Poor boy, forced to travel the world, skip school, and spend time with Dad while I get a whole two days a year with him!”

“Hey!” Carter turned on his sister with surprising force. “You get a home! You get friends and a normal life and don’t wake up each morning wondering what country you’re in! You don’t –”

The glass case beside them shattered.

Carter and Sadie both glanced at the Doctor, looking bewildered. “Did we just –”

“Looks like it.” The Doctor observed. “Just like your exploding birthday cake, Sadie.”

“You need to control your temper.” Carter grumbled.

Sadie looked offended. “Me?”

Alarms began to blare and red lights pulsed through the corridor. A garbled voice came on the loudspeaker and instructed the guests to proceed calmly to the exits. The French tour group ran past , screaming in panic, followed by a crowd of remarkably fast people in their sixties and seventies with walkers and canes.

“Right, that's our cue to go.” The Doctor decided. He grabbed the hand of each child and dragged them down another corridor. The sirens died as suddenly as they’d started. The red lights kept pulsing in the eerie silence. In the distance, the Doctor could hear the slithering, clacking sound of scorpions. He pulled the children faster.

It was only a matter of time before Sadie and Carter heard the scorpions too.

“What about Bast?” Sadie sounded choked up. “Is she –”

“She’s fine,” The Doctor assured her. “The gods are tougher than you think. Trust me, I’ve fought them.”

“You’ve  _ what?”  _ Carter cried. Sadie slapped a hand over his mouth, and they kept moving. 

They didn’t quite know where they were going – running into dead ends and halls that doubled back on themselves. They passed hieroglyphic scrolls, golden jewelry, sarcophagi, statues of pharaohs, and massive chunks of limestone.

They didn’t see a single person, but the sounds of scorpions only grew louder, no matter what direction they ran. Finally, the Doctor ran around a corner and collided with someone, sending them both to the ground, along with Sadie and Carter, who’d been holding hands with the Doctor so as not to lose track of him.

The Doctor jumped back to his feet only to see a girl not much older than Sadie. She was a bit taller too. Her black hair was trimmed along her jawline and longer in the front so that it swept over her eyes. She had caramel-coloured skin and her amber eyes were lined in black kohl. She had a rucksack over her shoulder and wore sandals and loose-fitting linen clothing, not unlike what Sadie and Carter were wearing.

It had been the girl from the British Museum. The Doctor pulled the children back and behind him. Slowly, he pulled his Sonic out, but the girl reached into her sleeve, produced a curved white piece of ivory – an Egyption wand – and flicked it to one side. The Sonic flew out of his hand and clattered to the floor.

“Oi!” The Doctor cried unhappily, “That was my Sonic!”

Assuming they were now defenseless, Carter brandished his sword, “Get – get back!” He stammered.

“Don’t embarrass yourself,” The girl said sternly, sending Carter’s sword flying.

“So, who are you, then?” The Doctor asked as he retrieved his Sonic.

“Where’s Amos?” She demanded, ignoring his question.

“Amos is gone.” Sadie said nervously. “He left this morning.”

“And the cat demon?”

“That’s my cat,” Sadie said. “And she’s a goddess, not a demon. She saved us from the scorpions!”

Carter seemed to unfreeze himself, snatch up his sword, and pointed it at the girl again.

“Who are you?” He demanded. “What do you want?”

“Put the sword away, you look ridiculous.” The Doctor grumbled.

“He is wise,” The girl decided. “As for my name, I am Zia Rashid.”

“I’m the Doctor.” The Doctor greeted cheerily.

Zia suddenly tilted her head, as if listening for something.

Suddenly, the entire building rumbled. Dust sprinkled from the ceiling, and the slither sounds of scorpions doubled in volume behind them.

“Right now,” Zia said, sounding a bit disappointed, “I must save your miserable lives. Let’s go.”

“Brilliant.” The Doctor grinned, bouncing on the balls of his feet.

Zia already looked irritated at the Doctor’s antics, and sprinted in the other direction. The Doctor, Sadie, and Carter following right behind.

Zia passed a case full of statues and casually tapped the glass with her wand. Tiny granite pharaohs and limestone gods stirred at her command. They hopped off their pedestals and crashed through the glass.

Some wielded weapons, others simply cracked their stone knuckles. They let the children pass, but stared down the corridor behind them as if waiting for the enemy.

“Hurry,” Zia urged. “These will only –”

“Buy us time,” The Doctor finished for her. “Not the first time we’ve heard that today.”

“You talk too much,” Sadie said without stopping.

“Also not the first time I’ve heard that.”

They finally emerged into a truly massive room.

“Waoh.” Carter said.

The room was a hundred meters long, one wall made completely of glass and looked out on the park. In the middle of the room, on a raised platform, an ancient building had been reconstructed.

There was a freestanding stone gateway about eight meters tall, and behind that an open courtyard and square structure made of uneven sandstone blocks carved all over on the outside with images of gods and pharaohs and hieroglyphs. Flanking the building’s entrance were two columns bathed in an eerie light.

“I’m guessing this is the Egyptian temple.” The Doctor said. “It’s got just a touch of Roman architecture. If I had to guess, I would say it’s –

“The Temple of Dendur,” Zia said. “And it  _ was  _ built by the Romans –”

“When they occupied Egypt,” Carter said. “Augustus commissioned it.”

“Fascinating,” Sadie murmured. “Would you lot like to be left alone with a history textbook?”

Zia scowled at Sadie. “At any rate, the temple was dedicated to Isis, so it will have enough power to open a gate.”

“To summon more gods?” Sadie asked.

Zia’s eyes flashed menacingly. “Accuse me of that again, and I will cut out your tongue. I meant a gateway to get you out of here.”

“Lovely,” The Doctor said, subtly stepping between Sadie and Zia, “Show us the way.”

Zia led them up the steps and through the temple’s stone gateway.

The courtyard was empty, abandoned by the fleeing museum visitors. Giant carvings of gods stared down at them. Hieroglyphic inscriptions were everywhere.

Zia stopped at the front steps of the temple. She held up her wand and wrote in the air and wrote the word:  _ OPEN. _

It had been the same hieroglyph Julius Kane had used on the Rosetta Stone. Carter and Sadie looked as if they were waiting for something to explode, but the hieroglyph simply faded.

Zia opened her rucksack. “We’ll make our stand here until the gate can be opened.”

“Why not just open it now?” Carter asked.

“Portals can only appear at auspicious moments,” Zia said. “Sunrise, sunset, midnight, eclipses, astrological alignments, the exact time of a god’s birth –”

“Oh, come on,” Sadie said. “How can you possibly know all that?”

“Years of study and practice I can only assume.” The Doctor shrugged. “I mean, the amount of time it took me to learn the holidays on this plant was –”

“Wait, you know  _ every  _ holiday on the planet?” Sadie raised an eyebrow.

“Of course!” The Doctor scoffed. "What do you take me for –"

“But why should we trust you?” Sadie cut him off, instead addressing the girl. “As I recall, at the British Museum, you wanted to gut us with a knife.”

“That would’ve been simpler.” Zia sighed. “Unfortunately, my superiors think you might be innocents. So for now, I can’t kill you. But I also can’t allow you to fall into the hands of the Red Lord. And so…you can trust me.”

“Well, I’m convinced.” Sadie said sarcastically. “I feel all warm and fuzzy inside.”

The Doctor shrugged. “I trust her.”

“Of course you do.” Sadie sighed.

“She’s not trying to kill us anymore. That’s more than can be said for a lot of people.”

Sadie rolled her eyes. “What are you, an intergalactic fugitive?”

“In three hundred and forty two different galaxies.”

_ “What did you do?” _

“If you’re done,” Zia reached inside her rucksack and removed four small statues – animal-headed men, each about five centimeters tall. She handed them to Sadie. “Put the Sons of Horus around us at the cardinal points.”

“Excuse me?”

“North, south, east, and west.” The Doctor said.

“I know the compass directions!” Sadie cried, “But –”

“That’s north.” Zia pointed out the wall of glass. “Figure out the rest.”

_ Very  _ impressive. For a human to have that brilliant of a sense of direction…Not to mention her sense of Time…Something wasn’t quite right with her. Something more than being a magician.

Zia then strode over to Carter and handed him a piece of chalk, instructing him to draw a circle around the four of them, connecting the statues.

“Magic protection,” The Doctor observed.

Carter nodded. “Dad did the same thing at the British Museum.

“And we all saw how well that worked.” Sadie grumbled.

Zia then pulled something else from her rucksack – a plain wooden rod, not unlike the one Julius had used in London. She spoke a word under her breath and the rod expanded into a two meter long black staff topped with a carved lion’s head. She twirled it around one hand, whilst holding the wand in her other. 

Carter finished the chalk circle as the first scorpions appeared at the gallery’s entrance.

“That’s going to be a problem.” The Doctor decided.

“No, really?” Sadie rolled her eyes at him. “Where’d you get that bright idea, Sherlock.”

“You know, I was the inspiration for Sherlock Holmes.”

“Stop being daft.”

“Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.” The Doctor hummed. “A  _ brilliant  _ man. Though, completely rubbish at Connect Four.”

“You played Connect Four with Sir Arthur Conan Doyal?” Carter asked.

“Don’t start, Carter.” Sadie sighed. “He’s completely mental.”

“Well, strictly speaking it was Connect Four  _ Hundred _ . But,” The Doctor shrugged, “Semantics.”

“Uh, that seems like a bit more than semantics.” Carter said.

“How much longer on that gate?” Sadie urged as more scorpions made their way forth.

“Stay inside the circle no matter what,” Zia said. “When the gate opens, jump through. And keep behind me!”

She touched her wand to the chalk circle, whispered another word, and the circle began to glow dark red.

Hundreds of scorpions were now swarming the temple, turning the floor into a living mass of claws and stingers. The woman in brown, Serqet, entered the gallery. Now that she was closer, the Doctor could see that her pale skin glistened like the shell of an insect. Her eyes were a beady black, her long, dark hair unnaturally thick, as if it was made from a million bug antennae. She smiled at the children coldly.

“Zia,” Sadie said, “That’s a goddess. She defeated Bast. What chance do you have?”

Zia held up her staff and the carved lion’s head burst into flames – a small red fireball so bright it illuminated the entire room. “I am a scribe in the House of Life, Sadie Kane. I am trained to fight gods.”

Sadie looked a mixture of intrigued, terrified, and doubtful. Carter, on the other hand, looked absolutely ecstatic. 

The Doctor was…concerned. As much as he wanted to believe in Zia’s abilities, he had his doubts about the young girl. Child Warriors were never as powerful as they believed themselves to be. 

As Serqet approached, she opened her mouth to reveal sideways mandibles that snapped and retracted outside her human teeth.

She stopped twenty meters away, studying the quad of children. Her hateful black eyes fixed on Zia.

“Give me the younglings.”

Her voice was harsh and raspy, as if she hadn’t spoken in centuries.

Zia crossed her staff and wand. “I am mistress of the elements, Scribe of the First Nome. Leave or be destroyed.”

Serqet clicked her mandibles in a gruesome foamy grin. Some of her scorpions advanced, but when the first one touched the glowing lines of the protective circle, it sizzled and turned to ash, letting out a foul odor.

The rest of the scorpions retreated, swirling around the goddess and crawling up her legs. They wriggled into her robes, and after a few seconds, each and every one had disappeared into the brown folds.

The air behind Serqet darkened, as if she were casting an enormous shadow. Then the darkness rose up and took the form of a massive scorpion tail that arced over Serqet’s head. It lashed down at the children with blazing speed. The Doctor launched himself in front of the others, but Zia simply raised her wand and the sting glanced off the ivory tip with a hissing sound.

Zia looked at the Doctor as if he were stupid as ssteam rolled off her wand, smelling of sulfur. She then pointed her staff towards the goddess, engulfing her body in fire. Serqet screamed and staggered backwards, but the fire died almost instantly. It left Serqet’s robes seared and smoking, but the goddess looked more enraged than hurt.

“Your days are past, magician.” Serqet said, “The House is weak. Lord Set will lay waste to this land.”

Zia threw her wand like a boomerang. It smashed into the shadowy scorpion tail and exploded in a blinding flash of light. Serqet lurched backwards and averted her eyes, and as she did, Zia reached into her sleeve and brought out something small – something closed inside her fist.

Zia then did something reckless: She leapt out of the magic circle.

“Zia!” Carter called. “The gate!”

The Doctor glanced behind only to see the space between the two columns at the temple’s entrance was now a vertical tunnel of sand.

“I’m not going in there,” Sadie said, but the Doctor’s eyes were strictly on Zia.

She and the goddess were involved in a dangerous dance. Zia twirled and spun with her fiery staff, and everywhere she passed, she left a trail of flames burning in the air.

“Sadie!” The Doctor finally returned his gaze to the children, only to see that Carter had pulled Sadie back, having nearly stepped across the line of chalk. “What were you thinking?”

Sadie didn’t answer. She continued to stare at Zia and mumbled in a sort of trance, “She’s going to use ribbons. They won’t work.”

“What?” Carter demanded, “Come on, we’ve got to get through the gate!” He looked at the Doctor desperately for help.

Just then, Zia opened her fist and small red tendrils of cloth fluttered into the air. Ribbons. How had Sadie known? They zipped about like eels in the water, beginning to grow larger.

Serqet was still concentrating on the fire, trying to keep Zia from caging her. At first, she didn’t even seem to notice the ribbons, which grew until they were several meters long. There were seven in all, zipping around, orbiting Serqet, ripping through her shadow scorpion as if it were a harmless illusion. Finally, they wrapped around Serqet’s body, pinning her arms and legs. She screamed as if the ribbons burned her. She dropped to her knees, and the shadow scorpion disintegrated into an inky haze.

Zia spun to a stop. She pointed her staff at the goddess’s face. The ribbons began to glow, and the goddess hissed in pain, cursing in Ancient Egyption. 

“I bind you with the Seven Ribbons of Hathor,” Zia said. “Release your host or your essence will burn forever.”

“Your death will last forever!” Serqet snarled. “You have made an enemy of Set!”

Zia twisted her staff, and Serqet fell sideways, writhing and smoking.

“I will…not…” The goddess hissed. But then her eyes turned milky white, and she lay still.

“The gate!” Carter warned. “Zia, come on! I think it’s closing!”

But Zia approached the fallen goddess. She touched Serqet’s forehead, and black smoke billowed from the goddess’s mouth. Serqet transformed and shrank until there was a completely different woman wrapped in red ribbons. She had ivory skin and thick black hair, but otherwise she looked nothing like Serqet. She looked human. She  _ was _ human.

The Doctor then stepped out of the circle. Carter and Sadie cried out in protest, but he ignored them, instead approaching the young woman.

“She was just the host.” The Doctor explained quietly to the siblings. “She was just some poor mortal who got caught in the crossfire…” His sentence trailed off as the black haze ceased to dissipate. Instead, it seemed to be getting thicker and darker again, swirling into a more solid form.

“Impossible,” Zia said. “The ribbons are too powerful. Serqet can’t re-form unless –”

“Well, she is re-forming,” Carter yelled, “and our exit is closing! Let’s go!”

The Doctor grabbed Zia’s hand and pulled her towards the siblings.

“Go, go!” Zia called as she and the Doctor reached Sadie and Carter, and together the four of them plunged straight into the swirling doorway.


	10. Beneath the Cairo Airport

As they plunged into the sand tunnel, everything went pitch dark. There was a moment of weightlessness, and then the Doctor was hurtled forwards, hot winds whipping around him, burning his skin.

He then tumbled onto a cold tile floor, Sadie, Carter, and Zia crashing on top of him.

“Ow.” Carter grumbled.

“Yuck!” Sadie spat sand out of her mouth.

There was a fine layer of sand covering the Doctor’s body. They were in a large building with crowds bustling all around them. It was a two-level airport concourse with loads of windows and polish steamed columns and –

“A little shop!” The Doctor bounced to his feet, “I like a little shop.”

Sadie rolled her eyes dramatically and Zia looked irritated, but Carter was looking minorly amused.

They had gone to a different time zone, the Doctor could feel the change. He hummed and took a deep breath of the air.

“Are we in Cairo? Smells like Cairo, though it could also be Giza, they smell the same.” He gave a little pout.

“Come on,” Zia said gruffly. “We can’t stay here.”

The Doctor helped Sadie and Carter to their feet. People were streaming past – some in Wester clothes, others in robes and headscarves. A family arguing in German about a lost suitcase nearly ran over the crew of children.

To their right, in the middle of the concourse, stood a life-sized replica of an Ancient Egyptian boat made from glowing display cases – a sales counter for perfume and jewelry.

“Yeah, this is the Cairo airport all right.” Carter said.

“Yes, it is!” Zia urged. “Now let’s go!”

“Why the rush?” Carter frowned. “Can Serqet…can she follow us through that sand gate?”

Zia shook her head. “An artifact overheats whenever it creates a gate. It requires a twelve-hour cooldown before it can be used again. But we still have to worry about airport security.”

“Security loves me.” The Doctor grinned.

“And by ‘loves you’, I can only assume that means you’ve been arrested more times than you can count.” Saide guessed.

“That’s not true,” The Doctor frowned. “I can too count it. Forty seven. And a half. Sort of.”

Saide sighed. “I’m sure it’s pointless to ask but how do you ‘sort of’ get arrested?”

“Well, they were aliens at the time –”

“I can’t –” Carter placed his head in his hands. “I can’t deal with this today.”

“Why are we here anyway?” Sadie demanded.

“To see the ruins of Heliopolis,” Zia said.

Sadie frowned. “Inside an airport?”

“Well, the ancient city was pillaged centuries ago,” The Doctor explained, “I would know, I was there.”

“So?” Sadie asked.

“So,” The Doctor continued, “Some of its monuments were carted away – Cleopatra’s two needles, for example – most of its temples were broken down to make new buildings. But the largest section is under the Cairo Airport.”

“Okay, and how does that help us?” Sadie asked.

Zia kicked open a maintenance door. On the other side was a broom cupboard. 

“Sahad!” She commanded, and the image of the cupboard shimmered and disappeared, revealing a set of stone steps leading downwards.

“Because not all Heliopolis is in ruins,” Zia explained. “Follow closely. And touch nothing.”  
The Doctor pouted, but Zia glared at him, as if warning him that he’d better listen.

They descended flight after flight of stairs. The passage was small and the children were forced to crouch and crawl most of the way. The only light was from a ball of fire in Zia’s palms, which made shadows dance all across the walls.

Finally, they made it to the bottom. The tunnel opened up, and Zia stopped abruptly. A moment later, the Doctor saw why. They were standing at the edge of a chasm.

A single wooden plank spanned the void. On the opposite ledge, two jackal-headed granite warriors flanked a doorway, their spears crossed over the entrance. 

“Please, no more psychotic statues.” Sadie pleaded.

“Do not joke,” Zia warned. “This is an entrance to the First Nome, the oldest branch of the House of Life, headquarters for all magicians. My job was to bring you here safely, but I cannot help you cross. Each magician must unbar the path for herself, and the challenge is different for each supplicant.” She looked at Sadie expectantly.

Sadie was looking nervous. There was a moment of pause, then Carter suddenly began walking forwards.

“Carter!” Sadie cried.

But Carter kept walking, not looking down and not looking back.

The Doctor frowned. This was unlike Carter, something had sparked this. 

As Carter got closer to the opposite side, the doorway between the two statues began to glow. He started to run. 

Then the first dagger shot out of the tunnel.

Before the Doctor could shout out to the boy, Carter’s sword shot out and deflected the dagger with his blade. It went sailing into the abyss.

Two more daggers shot out of the tunnel.

Carter was suddenly a whirlwind, ducking ebnath one and hooking the other with the curved blade of his sword, turned the dagger, and flung it back into the tunnel.

Sadie, Zia, and the Doctor exchanged a look, and they began to follow, walking cautiously across the beam.

The doorway was beginning to glow again. The red light coalesced into a strange form: a five foot tall bird with a man’s head. Carter raised his sword, but Zia yelled, “Carter, no!”

The bird creature folded his wings. His eyes, lined with kohl, narrowed as he studied the boy. A black ornamental wig glistened on his head and his face was etched with wrinkles. A fake braided pharaoh beard was stuck to his chin. He didn’t look particularly hostile.

The bird creature scratched at the stone floor. Then, he smiled and in Ancient Egyptian he said,  _ “Go forth, good king.” _

Zia gasped. She, Sadie, and the Doctor had now reached Carter. She bowed to the bird creature, and Sadie and the Doctor followed her example.

The creature winked at Carter, then vanished, and the red light faded. The statues retracted their arms, uncrossing their spears from the entrance.

“That’s it?” Carter asked. “What did the turkey say?”

Zia looked at him with something akin to fear. “That was not a turkey, Carter. That was a ba.”

Carter frowned, wracking his brain. “Another monster?”

“A spirit of the dead.” The Doctor murmured.

Zia noddeed. “In this case, a magician from ancient times, come back to serve as a guardian. They watch the entrances of the House.” She studied Carter’s face.

“What?” He demanded. “Why are you looking at me that way?”

“Nothing,” Zia said quickly. “We must hurry.”

She squeezed past him on the ledge and disappeared into the tunnel.

Carter looked at the Doctor, who shrugged.

“What did the bird guy say?” Carter asked. 

“He mistook you for someone else.” Sadie decided. “He must have bad eyesight.”

“Because?” Carter frowned.

“He said, ‘Go forth, good king.’” The Doctor hummed thoughtfully.

“What?”

The Doctor shrugged and the tree began to pass through the tunnel and enter a vast underground city of halls and chambers.

The ceilings soared five or ten meters in the air, and every chamber was lined with massive stone columns, brightly painted to resemble palm trees with carved green fronds at the top. Fires burned in copper braziers. They didn’t seem to make any smoke, but the air smelled of spices – cinnamon, clove, nutmeg – it smelled significantly better than Ancient Egypt had. 

They saw a few other people – mostly older men and women. They wore linen robes, some more modern attire. One man in a business suit walked past with a black leopard on a leash. Another barked orders to a small army of brooms, mops, and buckets that were scuttling around, cleaning up the city.

“Like that cartoon,” Sadie said. “Where Mickey Mouse tries to do magic and the brooms keep splitting and toting water.”

“‘The Sorcerer’s Apprentice,’” Zia said. “You do know that was based on an Egyptian story, don’t you?”

“Well, the earliest version was actually from  _ The Lover of Lies  _ which was written by the satirist Loukianos of Samosata. He was Syrian, actually, though he wrote exclusively in Greek.” The Doctor explained. “It talks about an encounter with an Egyptian sorcerer named Pankrates, but the actual story –”

“Doctor,” Sadie sighed. “Do you have to do this?”

“Do what?” He asked innocently.

No one bothered answer him as they continued to walk through a hall of jackal-headed statues, whose eyes seemed to follow them as they passed.

A few minutes later, Zia led them through a lovely market with dozens of stalls selling all sorts of items – boomerang wands, animated clay dolls, parrots, cobras, papyrus scrolls, and hundreds of different glittering amulets.

They next crossed a path of stones over a dark river teeming with innocent-looking fish with vicious teeth.

“Are those piranhas?” Carter asked nervously.

“Tiger fish, aren’t they?” The Doctor asked.

“From the Nile,” Zia nodded. “Like piranhas, except these can weigh up to sixteen pounds.”

Carter looked properly horrified.

They turned a corner and passed an ornate building carved out with black rock. Seated pharaohs were chiseled into the walls, and the doorway was shaped like a coiled serpent.

“What’s in there?” Sadie asked.

They peeked inside to see rows of children – perhaps two dozen in all, all about six to ten years old – sitting cross-legged on the cushions. They were hunched over brass bowls, peering intently into some sort of liquid and speaking under their breath. From the look of the chamber and the number of empty seats, the room was meant to hold twice as many children.

“Our initiates,” Zia said, “learning to scry. The First Nome must keep in contact with our brethren all over the world. We use our youngest as…operators, I suppose you would say.”

“So you’ve got bases like this all over the world?” Sadie asked in awe.

“Most are much smaller, but yes.”

“Egypt is the First Nome,” Carter remembered. “New York is the Twenty-first. What’s the last one, the Three-hundred-and-sixtieth?”

“That would be Antarctica,” Zia said. “A punishment assignment. Nothing there but a couple of cold magicians and some magic penguins.”

“Magic penguins?” Carter asked.

“Don’t ask.”

Sadie pointed to the children inside. “How does it work? They see images in the water?”

“It’s oil,” Zia said. “But yes.”

“Can’t help but notice there aren’t all that many children,” The Doctor observed. “Are they the only initiates in the whole city?”

“In the whole world,” Zia corrected. “There were more before –” She stopped herself.

“Before what?” The Doctor prompted.

“Nothing.” Zia said darkly. “Initiates do our scrying because young minds are most receptive. Magicians begin training no later than the age of ten…with a few dangerous exceptions.”

“You mean us,” Carter said.

Zia glanced at Carter apprehensively.

“They’ll be waiting for you,” She finally said. “Come along.”

After a  _ lot _ of walking, they finally arrived at a crossroads. To the right was a massive set of bronze doors with fires blazing on either side. On the left, a five meter sphinx was carved into the wall. A doorway was nestled between its paws, but it was bricked in and covered in cobwebs.

“That looks like the Sphinx at Giza.” Carter observed, and the Doctor had to agree.

“That’s because we are directly under the real Sphinx,” Zia said. “That tunnel leads straight up to it. Or used to, before it was sealed.”

“But…” Carter did some quick calculations in his head. “The Sphinx is, like, twenty miles from the Cairo Airport.”

“Roughly.” Zia agreed.

“No way we’ve walked that far.”

“Distance changes here.” The Doctor grumbled. “It’s not right. It’s all wonky. But it could be worse. The Labyrinth makes my Time Senses all fuzzy.”

Sadie glared at him. “So why is the tunnel closed, then?”

“The Sphinx was too popular with archaeologists,” Zia said. “They kept digging around. Finally, in the 1980s, they discovered the first part of the tunnel under the Sphinx.”

“Dad told me about that!” Carter said. “But he said the tunnel was a dead end.”

“It was when we got through with it. We couldn’t let the archaeologists know how much they’re missing. Egypt’s leading archaeologist recently speculated that they’ve only discovered thirty percent of the ancient ruins in Egypt. In truth, they’ve only discovered one tenth, and not even the interesting tenth.”

“What about King Tut’s tomb?” Sadie protested.

“That boy king?” Zia rolled her eyes. “Boring. You should see some of the good tombs.”

She then turned to face the bronze doors.

“This is the Hall of Ages.” She placed her palm against the seal, which bore the symbol of the House of Life.

The hieroglyphs began to glow and the doors swung open.

Zia turned to the Doctor, Sadie, and Carter, her expression deadly serious. “You are about to meet the Chief Lector. Behave yourselves, unless you wish to be turned into insects.”

The Doctor grinned, bouncing on the balls of his feet. “Lovely.”

Zia stared at him, then shook her head in disappointment.


	11. The Chief Lector Iskandar

Double rows of stone pillars held up a ceiling so high they could barely see the top. A shimmering blue carpet that looked like water ran down the center of the hall, which was so long they couldn’t see the end, despite how brightly it was lit. Balls of fire floated around in the air, changing colour whenever they bumped into one another. Millions of tiny hieroglyphic symbols also drifted through the air, randomly combining into words and then breaking apart.

Between the columns on either side, images were shifting, coming into focus, then blurring out again like holograms in a sandstorm.

“Come on,” Zia ordered. “And don’t spend too much time looking.”

“You’re no fun.” The Doctor sighed.

After the first five meters or so, the magical scenes cast a golden light across the hall. A blazing sun rose above the ocean and a mountain emerged from the water. They were watching what the Egyptians believed to be the beginning of the world. Giants strode across the Nile Valley: a man with charcoal skin and the head of a jackal alongside a lioness with bloody fangs and a beautiful woman with wings of light.

Sadie stepped off the rug. In a trance, she reached towards the images.

“Stay on the carpet!” Zia grabbed Sadie’s hand and pulled her back towards the center of the hall.

“You are seeing the Age of the gods. No mortal should dwell on these images.”

The Doctor pulled out his Sonic to investigate the images.

“But…” Sadie was saying, “They’re only pictures, aren’t they?”

“Oh, very clever.” The Doctor murmured, looking at the results of the Sonic. “Very clever indeed. They’re not pictures but memories, projected through a multidimensional psychic field.”

Zia looked at the Doctor with distaste. “However you’d like to explain it, they’re dangerous. They’re so powerful they could destroy your mind.”

“Oh.” Sadie said in a small voice, quickly averting her eyes.

They continued walking, the images changing to silver. The Doctor could see armies clashing – Egyptians in shendyts, sandals, and leather armour, fighting with spears. A tall dark-skinned man in red and white armour placed a double crown upon his head: Narmer, the king who’d united Upper and Lower Egypt.

“The Old Kingdom,” The Doctor identified.

“The first great age of Egypt.” Carter added enthusiastically.

Zia nodded silently and they continued to make their way down the corridor.

As they walked, they could see workers building the first step pyramid from stone. Another few steps, and a bigger pyramid rose from the desert at Giza. Its outer layer of smooth white casing stones gleamed in the sun. Ten thousand workers gathered at its base and knelt before the pharaoh, who raised his hands to the sun, dedicating his own tomb.

“Khufu,” Carter said.

“The baboon?” Sadie asked.

“The pharaoh.” The Doctor corrected. “He built the Great Pyramid, well, he took the credit for it.”

“Aliens?” Sadie said suddenly, “Was it Aliens who built the pyramids? Seriously?”

“Don’t be ridiculous.” The Doctor scoffed.

“Don’t be –” Sadie stared at him with a mixture of shock and fury. “Doctor, you are the  _ antithesis  _ of ridiculous!”

Carter sighed. “So if it wasn’t aliens, what was it, then?”

“Well, they were humans – sort of. Well, not strictly human. Sort of alien-y and humans. But they were mostly human!”

They continued for another few steps and the images turned from silver to copper.

“The Middle Kingdom,” Zia announced before the Doctor could say anything about it. “A bloody, chaotic time. And yet this is when the House of Life came to maturity.”

The scenes shifted more rapidly. They watched armies fighting, temples being built, ships sailing on the Nile, magicians throwing fire. Each step covered hundreds of years.

“It’s like traveling through time.” Carter marveled.

The Doctor scoffed. “This is nothing compared to time travel.”

“You said that before,” Carter recalled, “that you travel through time.”

“And space.” The Doctor added. “You should join me some time.”

“Seriously?” Carter stared at him.

They crossed another threshold and the light turned bronze.

“The New Kingdom.” Zia said.

Carter’s attention shifted. “This was the very last time Egypt was ruled by Egyptians, wasn’t it?”

Zia said nothing.

They watched scenes passing by. They saw Hatshepsut – a lovely pharaoh whom the Doctor’d met a few hundred years ago whilst traveling through Egypt back in 1478 B.C.E..

“She was the greatest female pharaoh to ever live,” Carter was explaining to Sadie, “She would put on a fake beard and ruled Egypt as a man.”

“No she didn’t.” The Doctor frowned.

“Doctor,” Sadie said, “I swear if you say aliens one more time –”

“No,” The Doctor said, “I mean she ruled as a woman.”

“No,” Carter argued back, “There were statues of her as a man.”

“She ruled because the next in line for pharaoh was Thutmose III, who was her step-son, and was still a child so he couldn’t yet rule. Her subjects knew she was a woman. She was queen for a while, and after Thutmose III got a bit older, she asked the Egyptian elite to become co-pharoah, and with a little help from me,” He grinned at the children, “They said yes.”

“Just like that?” Sadie frowned.

The Doctor shrugged. “She’d been doing a good job ruling. They had no qualms with her. As for the statues, surely you know, Egyptian art doesn’t depict things as they are, but in a more metaphorical perspective. In fact, her male name was Maatkare, which translates to ‘truth is the soul of the sun god’. It wasn’t to trick her people at all.”

“She was a powerful magician.” Zia said. “Very powerful indeed.”

They continued on, watching as Ramesses the Great led his chariots into battle. A man was standing over a table of battle figurines: small wooden ships, soldiers, and chariots. The man was dressed as a pharaoh. He looked up, and the Doctor suddenly recognized his face of that of the ba that had spoken to Carter back on the bridge.

“Who is that?” Carter asked.

“Nectanebo II,” Zia said. “The last native Egyptian king, and the last sorcerer pharaoh. He could move entire armies, create or destroy navies by moving pieces on his board, but in the end, it was not enough.”

They stepped over another line and the images shimmered blue. “These are the Ptolemaic times,” Zia said. “Alexander the Great conquered the known world, including Egypt. He set up his general Ptolemy as the new pharaoh, and founded a line of Greek kings to rule over Egypt.” The Ptolemaic section of the hall was shorter and the temples were smaller. The kings and queens were more desperate and/or apathetic, but at least there were no great battles…apart from towards the end when the Romans marched into the city of Alexandria. There was a woman with dark hair and a white dress drop a snake into her blouse.

“Cleopatara,” Zia said, “The seventh queen of that name. She tried to stand against the might of Rome, and she lost. When she took her life, the last line of pharaohs ended. Egypt, the great nation, faded. Our language was forgotten. The ancient rites were suppressed. The House of Life survived, but we were forced into hiding.”

They passed into an area of red light and they could see Arab armies riding into Egypt, then the Turks. Napoleon marched his army under the shadow of the pyramids. The British then came and built the Suez Canal. Slowly, Cairo grew into a modern city and the old ruins faded farther and farther under the sands of the desert.

“Each year,” Zia said, “the Hall of Ages grows longer to encompass our history. Up until the present.”

By this point they’d reached the end of the hall. Sadie grabbed Carter’s arm, as he hadn’t noticed their abrupt end. Before them stood a dais and on it, an empty throne. It was quite lovely; a gilded wooden chair with a flail and shepherd’s crook carved in the back – the ancient symbols of the pharaoh.

On the step below the throne sat an old man with thin brown, wrinkled skin, white linen robes hanging loosely off his small frame. A leopard skin was draped around his shoulders and his hand shakily held a large wooden staff. His milky eyes were staring off into space. But strangest of all was that the glowing hieroglyphs in the air appeared to be emanating from him. 

Multicoloured symbols popped up all around him and floated away. The man suddenly focused on Carter, scanning the boy up and down. They then flicked to Sadie, then the Doctor. As those old eyes rested on the Doctor, something inside him told him to run. His body tensed up. He raised an eyebrow, as if surprised, then glanced behind him and murmured,  _ “Welcome them,”  _ in Alexandrian Greek,  _ “And it is good to see  _ him _ again.” _

A second man stepped out from the shadows. It was the man from the British Museum who’d been with Zia. He was still wearing his cream-coloured robes and forked beard.

The man glared at Sadie, Carter, and the Doctor.

“I am Desjardins,” He said, his thick French accent coming through, “My master, Chief Lector Iskandar, welcomes you to the House of Life. And Doctor,” He didn’t look as pleased as Iskandar had. “He says –”

“It’s good to see me again, yes, I heard.” The Doctor murmured. “But I have yet to meet him.”

_ “Oh, have you now?”  _ Iskandar said, sounding a mix of intrigued and disappointed.  _ “Fascinating.” _

Carter looked from the Doctor to Iskandar, then back again, before finally saying, “He’s really old. Why isn’t he sitting on the throne?”

Desjardins’ nostrils flared, but Iskandar simply chuckled,  _ “Tell them that I am indeed ‘really old,’ but the throne is for the pharaoh. It has been vacant since the fall of Egypt and Rome. It is symbolic. My role is to serve and protect the pharaoh. Therefore, I sit at the foot of the throne.” _

As Desjardins relayed this information, the Doctor studied Iskandar carefully. They’d met before, likely whenever the Doctor met Julian Kane, but he held a power in him. An ancient power – well, by Earth’s standards anyways. Something about him, it wasn’t quite right.

“Wait, wait,” Carter said. He looked at Iskandar nervously. “If you…If he can understand English…what language is he speaking?”

“Desjardins sniffed. “The Chief Lector understands many things. But he prefers to speak Alexandrian Greek, his birth tongue.”

Sadie cleared her throat. “Sorry, his birth tongue? Wasn’t Alexander the Great way back in the blue section, thousands of years ago? You make it sound like Lord Salamander is –”

“Lord Iskandar,” Desjardins hissed. “Show respect!”

Lord Iskandar locked eyes with Carter, then said,  _ “Tell the boy not to worry. The children shall not be held responsible for the past crimes of their family. That will require further investigation.” _

“Further investigation?” The Doctor frowned as Desjardins began to translate. “They’ve not done anything.”

_ “I certainly hope not.”  _ Iskandar said,  _ “But for the sake of legality.” _

That satisfied the Doctor for the time being.

“…not until we have investigated you further.” Desjardins was finishing.

“Gee…thanks.” Carter said.

“Do not mock our generosity, boy,” Desjardins warned. “Your father broke our most important law twice: once at Cleopatra’s Needle, when he tried to summon the gods and your mother died assisting him. Then again at the British Museum, when your father was foolish enough to use the Rosetta Stone itself. Now your uncle too is missing –”

“You know what’s happened to Amos?” Sadie blurted out.

Desjardins scowled. “Not yet,” He admitted.

“You have to find him!” Sadie cried. “Don’t you have some sort of GPS magic or –”

“We are searching.” Desjardins said. “But you cannot worry about Amos. You must stay here. You must be…trained.” 

He was most definitely intending on saying something not quite as nice as ‘trained.’

_ “The Demon Days begin tomorrow at sunset,”  _ Iskandar said kindly to Carter, though his eyes still lingered on the Doctor. Almost cautiously.  _ “You must be kept safe.” _

“But we have to find our dad!” Carter insisted once Desjardins had translated for him, “Dangerous gods are on the loose out there. We saw Serqet. And Set!”

At these names, Iskandar’s expression tightened. He looked directly at the Doctor.  _ “Tell me your story.” _

It was not a request.

So the Doctor began to explain it, though it was soon taken over by the Kane siblings. They described what had happened, though left out certain bits. Carter left out Sadie’s magical abilities, and Sadie left out the encounter with the ba who’d called Carter a king. From the corner of his eye, the Doctor could see Zia, studying the children with a troubled expression.

Iskandar traced a circle on the step with the butt of his staff. More hieroglyphs popped into the air and floated away.

After several seconds, Desjardins seemed to grow impatient. He stepped forth and glared at the children.

“You are lying.” He said. “That could not have been Set. He would need a powerful host to remain in the world. Very powerful.”

“Look, you,” Sadie snapped. “I don’t know what all this rubbish is about hosts, but I saw Set with my own eyes. You were there at the British Museum – you must have done, too. And if Cater saw him in Phoenix, Arizona, then…” She looked at her brother doubtfully. “Then he’s probably not crazy.”

“Thanks, Sis,” Carter mumbled, but Sadie wasn’t done yet.

“And as for Serqet, she’s real too! Our friend, my cat, Bast, died protecting us!”

“So,” Desjardins said coldly, “you admit to consorting with gods. That makes our investigation much easier. Bast is not your friend. The gods caused the downfall of Egypt. It is forbidden to call on their powers. Magicians are sworn to keep the gods from interfering in the mortal world. We must use all our power to fight them.”

“Bast said you were paranoid,” sadie added.

The magician clenched his fist, and the air tingled with the smell of ozone, as if a thunderstorm was brewing.

The Doctor stepped in front of the children, shielding them. “Lord Iskandar,” He decided to address them, “Call your pupil off. I know I don’t know you, but you know me. This is what we saw. Trust me.”

Iskandar hesitated.

The storm brewed stronger.

“Lord Desjardins,” Zia suddenly stepped out, “there was something strange. When I ensnared the scorpion goddess, she re-formed almost instantly. I could not return her to the Duat, even with the Seven Ribbons. I could only break her hold on the host for a moment. Perhaps the rumors of other escapes –”

“Other escapes?” The Doctor asked.

She glanced at the Doctor reluctantly. “Other gods, many of them, released since last night from artifacts all over the world. Like a chain reaction –”

“Zia!” Desjardins snapped. “That information is not for sharing.”

“Look,” Carter said, “lord, sir, whatever – Bast warned us this would happen. She said Set would release more gods.”

“Master,” Zia pleaded, “If Ma’at is weakening, if Set is increasing chaos, perhaps that is why I could not banish Serqet.”

“Ridiculous,” Desjardins said. “You are skilled, Zia, but perhaps you were not skilled enough for this encounter. As for these three, the contamination must be contained.”

_ “Two.”  _ Iskandar corrected.  _ “The Doctor is not to be contained.” _

“The Doctor is, actually,” The Doctor snapped, “If they are, so am I.”

“Very well,” Desjardins said.

“Master, pelase.” Zia pleaded. “Give me a chance with them.”

“You forget your place,” Desjardins snapped. “These three are guilty and must be destroyed.”

Iskandar thought for a long moment. He then looked at Zia.  _ “I shall allow you to test them.”  _ He then looked at Desjardins,  _ “Find the truths in their story. And the lies. Falsehood will not be overlooked.” _

Zia bowed deeply.

Desjardins looked ready to explode. He swept his robes away from his feet and marched behind the throne. “The Chief Lector will allow Zia to test you,” He growled at the children. “Meanwhile, I will seek out the truth – or the lies – in your story. You will be punished for the lies.”

The Doctor turned to Iskandar and bowed deeply.  _ “Thank you, Iskandar.” _

“Thank you, master,” Carter copied the Doctor’s bow. Sadie did the same.

The old man studied Carter for a long time. There was concern in his eyes. He mumbled something quietly to himself, then opened his hands and a flood of glowing hieroglyphs poured out, swarming around the dias. There was a flash of light, and with it, both Iskandar and Desjardins disappeared.

Zia turned towards the children, her expression grim. “I will show you to your quarters. In the morning, your testing begins. We will see what magic you know, and how you know it.”

“That’s not ominous at all.” The Doctor grumbled.

“And what happens if we fail this test?” Sadie ventured.

Zia regarded her coldly. “This is not the sort of test you fail, Sadie Kane. You pass or you die.”

Yeah, that wasn’t good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Credit to the Watcher's Puppet History for all the information about Hatshepsut. I'm not sure how accurate it was, but ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯


	12. Memories of the Past

The Doctor and Carter were sent to the boys’ dormitory, whilst Sadie was sent to the girls’. The boys’ dormitory wasn’t nearly as posh as Amos’s mansion – the stone walls sweated moisture, pictures of Egyptain monsters dance across the ceiling in the torchlight. They got floating cots to sleep in, and the other boys in training – initiates they’d informed him – were significantly younger, so when the matron told them to go to sleep straightaway, they immediately obeyed. The matron waved her hand and the torches went out. She shut the door behind her, and the Doctor could hear the sound of locks clicking.

The Doctor waited for a few minutes. It wasn’t long before the sound of snoring filled the room. The moment he decided that everyone was asleep, the Doctor stood up and made his way to the door. Carter had already passed out, so the Doctor soniced the door and slipped out alone.

The corridors were dark and empty. It didn’t seem there was much of a nightlife in the First Nome. He walked through the city back the way they’d entered earlier, only interrupted by the occasional cobra slithering across the floor.

That was, until he felt himself colliding with someone else.

“What the –?” Sadie jumped up from the ground. “What are you doing?”

“I assume the same as you’re doing.” The Doctor shrugged.

“Sneaking around doesn’t seem your style.”

“Well, you don’t know me very well.” Admittedly, it came out harsher than the Doctor had intended. Sadie looked somewhat offended, but it didn’t hide the inkling of an impressed look that was just behind.

“Okay, okay, alien-boy,” Sadie said, “Then tell me about you.”

For a moment, the Doctor looked surprised, then amused. He gave a quiet, thoughtful hum, and began to walk, gesturing for Sadie to do the same.

They walked for a few moments before the Doctor asked, “What about me do you want to know?”

“Um, how about everything?” Sadie suggested. “If you really are an alien, where are you from? What do you want from Carter and I? Why are you here?”

“Er – far away; some friends, ideally; and fun, I suppose.” The Doctor shrugged.

“Okay; vague, sad, and seriously?”

“Absolutely,” The Doctor grinned, “Now what about you?”

“What?” Sadie looked surprised, “What about me?”

“Tell me about yourself.”

“I’m sure Carter already has.” Sadie grumbled.

The Doctor frowned. “What do you mean?”

“You heard him before,” Sadie snarled. “His life is  _ so  _ hard, traveling the world, skipping school, spending time with Dad –  _ please! _ And he has the nerve of calling my life normal? I mean yeah, I had a few mates at school – Liz, Emma – but my life was hardly easy. If Carter made a social faux pas or met someone he didn’t like, he could just move on! I had to stay put. I couldn’t answer simple questions like, ‘Where are your parents?’ or ‘What does your family do?’ or even ‘Where are you from?’. Not unless I wanted to expose just how odd my situation was. I was always the different girl. The mixed-race girl, the American who wasn’t American, the girl whose mother had died, the girl with the absent father, the girl who made trouble in class, the girl who couldn’t concentrate on her lessons!” Sadie was fuming. “After a while, you learn that blending in simply doesn’t work, so I might as well give them something to stare at! Red stripes in my hair? Why not! Combat boots with the school uniform? Absolutely. The headmaster says, ‘I’ll have to call your parents, young lady.’ I say, ‘Good luck.’ Carter doesn’t know anything about my life!”

There was a long moment of silence.

The Doctor pursed his lips. “I know it wasn’t easy for you, Sadie.” He finally said. “But it wasn’t easy for Carter either.”

“But he –”

“He didn’t have any choice, you know.” The Doctor said. “To travel, I mean. He didn’t get to choose where he went,  _ when  _ he went.”

“Yeah, but –”

“And what about friends? He had no one  _ but  _ your father.”

“I – I know, but –”

“He never got a home, Sadie.” The Doctor said quietly. “Even  _ I’ve  _ got a home. I haven’t a clue what I’d do without her.”

“Her? You’ve got a girlfriend?”

The Doctor scoffed. “No, no. The TARDIS. She’s my ship.”

“Your spaceship, right, I know.” Sadie rolled her eyes.

“No, really, she is.” The Doctor promised. “I could take you in her sometime.”

“To your planet?”

“To any planet.”

“Seriously?”

“Of course,” The Doctor grinned.

Sadie suddenly frowned. “Wait, if that’s your home, what about your planet?”

“Oh, I’m a traveler,” The Doctor shrugged anxiously, “Don’t really go back there much. Been a bit busy.”

“Right.” Sadie looked skeptical, though didn’t seem like she wanted to dig, as they’d somehow found their way back to the Hall of Ages.

Sadie seemed more eager now, pushing open the bronze doors into the deserted hall. No balls of fire floated around the ceiling. No hieroglyphics glowed in the air. But images still shimmered betwixt the columns, washing the hall with strange, multicoloured light.

The Doctor made his way over towards the images, Sadie right behind him. “Wait,” The Doctor held a hand out to Sadie.

“What? You can’t seriously be scared of what Zia said.” Sadie rolled her eyes.

“Humans are fragile!” The Doctor said defensively. “Especially those delicate little ape brains –”  
Sadie glared at him.

“Just, let me take a look first.” The Doctor pleaded. “Your brother will kill me if I’m the reason your brain gets melted.”

Sadie sighed, but gave a short, breathy laugh. “Fine.”

The Doctor stepped forth off the carpet and approached the curtain of golden light. He could see sand dunes shifting in the wind, storm clouds brewing, crocodiles sliding down the Nile. There was a vast hall of revelers. He touched the image.

Massive beings swirled around him, changing shape from human to animal to pure energy. On a throne in the center of the room sat a muscular African man in rich black robes. He had a handsome face and warm brown eyes.

The other gods celebrated around him. Music played – a sound powerful enough to burn the air. At the man’s side stood a beautiful woman in white, her belly swollen as if she were a few months pregnant. Her form flickered; at times she seemed to have multicoloured wings.

It was then that Sadie appeared beside him.

“I thought I told you to stay back!” The Doctor cried.

“Yeah, well I didn’t want to.”

“You agreed –”

“I lied.”

The Doctor was about to say something else, when Sadie suddenly gasped.

“What?” The Doctor asked.

Sadie pointed at the woman beside the man in black robes. “Her face…” Sadie breathed. “It’s just like my mother’s.”

Before the Doctor could look back over to investigate further, a voice behind them suddenly said, “Are you ghosts?”

The two children spun around to see a young boy, maybe sixteen years old, dressed in black robes. His complexion was pale, but he had lovely brown eyes like that of the man on the throne. His black hair was long and tousled. Admittedly, his general aesthetic reminded the Doctor a touch of Nico’s.

“No, not quite.” The Doctor said.

Beside him, Sadie was looking rather flustered. She managed to shake her head.

“A ba then?” He gestured towards the throne. “Watch, but do not interfere.”

The Doctor gave him a thumbs up and the boy raised an eyebrow, but made his exit.

Sadie did  _ not  _ seem interested in watching the throne so much as the boy, but he dissolved into the shadow and disappeared.

“Shadow Travel?” The Doctor frowned thoughtfully.

“Huh?” Sadie had been a touch distracted.

“Isis,” The man on the throne said.

The pregnant woman beside the man in the throne turned and beamed at him. “My lord Osiris. Happy birthday.”

“Thank you, my love. And soon we shall mark the birth of our son – Horus, the great one! His new incarnation shall be his greatest yet. He shall bring peace and prosperity to the world.” Isis took her husband's hand. Music continued to play around them, gods celebrated, and the very air around them swirled in a dance of creation.

It was then that the palace doors blew open.

A hot wind made the torches sputter.

A man strode into the hall. He was tall and strong, almost identical to Osiris, but with dark red skin, blood-coloured robes, and a pointed beard. When he smiled, his teeth turned to fangs and his face flickered – sometimes more human, other times more wolf-like. 

The Doctor had seen that face before.

The dancing stopped. The music died.

Osiris rose from his throne. “Set,” his tone was dangerous. “Why have you come?”

Set laughed and the tension in the room broke. Despite the cruelty in his eyes, he had a wonderful laugh. It was nothing like the screeching from the British Museum. This one was carefree, friendly. 

“I come to celebrate my brother’s birthday, of course!” He exclaimed. “And I bring entertainment!” He gestured behind him. Four massive men with the heads of wolves marched into the room, carrying a jewel-encrusted golden coffin.

It was the same box Set had used to imprison Julius Kane. To the Doctor’s right, Sadie looked stunned.

The assembled gods oohed and aahed, admiring the box, which was painted with gold and red hieroglyphs, trimmed with jade and opals. The wolf-men set down the box, and the Doctor could see it hadn’t a lid. The interior was lined with black linen.

“This sleeping casket,” Set announced, “was made by my finest craftsmen, using the most expensive materials. Its value is beyond measure. The god who lies within, even for a night, will see his powers increase tenfold! His wisdom will never falter. His strength will never fail. It is a gift” – he smiled slyly at Osiris – “for the one and only god who fits within perfectly!” Just as the Doctor had expected, the gods immediately surged forwards. They pushed each other out of the way to get at the golden coffin. Some climbed in but were too short. Others were too big. Even when they attempted to change their shapes, the gods had no luck. The box was clearly enchanted to thwart them so that no one fit exactly – gods grumbled and complained as others, anxious to try, pushed them to the floor.

Set turned to Osiris with a good-natured laugh. “Well, brother, we have no winner yet. Will you try? Only the best of the gods can succeed.”

Osiris’s eyes gleamed. He seemed completely taken in by the box’s beauty.

“Clearly he’s not the god of brains.” Sadie whispered to the Doctor.

“Osiris is actually the god of a number of things: fertility, agriculture, vegetation –”

Sadie sighed. “A simple yes or no, Doctor.”

“No.”

“There we go.”

All the other gods were looking at Osiris expectantly. He was staring at the box eagerly, and the Doctor could tell what he was thinking: if he fit in the box, what a brilliant birthday gift that would be. Even Set would have to admit that he was the rightful king of the gods.

Only Isis appeared troubled. She laid her hand on her husband’s shoulder. “My lord, do not. Set does not bring presents.”

“I am offended!” Set did sound genuinely hurt. “Can I not celebrate my brother’s birthday? Are we so estranged that I cannot even apologize to the king?”

Osiris smiled at Isis. “My dear, it is only a game. Fear nothing.” He rose from his throne. The gods applauded as he approached the box.

“All hail Osiris!” Set cried.

The king of the gods lowered himself into the box.

Sadie was looking quite distressed at this point.

Osiris lay down. The coffin fit him perfectly.

A cheer went up from the gods, but before Osiris could rise, Set clapped his hands. A golden lid materialized above the box and slammed down on top of it.

Osiris shouted in rage, but his cries were muffled.

Golden latches fastened around the lid. The other gods surged forth to intervene – even the boy in black from earlier reappeared – but Set was faster. He stamped his foot so hard that the stone floor trembled. The gods toppled over each other and the wolf-men drew their spears. The gods scrambled away in terror.

Set said something in Ancient Egyptian and a boiling cauldron appeared out of thin air. It poured its contents over the coffin – molten lead, coating the box, and sealing it shut.

“Villain!” Isis wailed. She advanced on Set and began to speak a spell, but Set held up his hand. Isis rose from the floor, clawing at her mouth, her lips pressed as if an invisible force were suffocating her.

“Not today, lovely Isis,” Set purred. “Today, I am king. And your child shall never be born!”

Suddenly, another goddess – a slender woman in a blue dress – charged out of the crowd. “Husband, no!”

She tackled Set, who momentarily lost his concentration. Isis fell to the floor, gasping. The other goddess yelled, “Flee!”

Isis turned and ran.

Set rose. For a moment, the Doctor thought he was about to hit the goddess in blue, but he only snarled. “Foolish wife! Whose side are you on?”

He stamped his foot again, and the golden coffin sank into the floor.

Set raced after Isis. At the edge of the palace, Isis turned into a small bird of prey and soured into the air. Set sprouted black wings himself and launched in pursuit.

The Doctor was suddenly flying as well, Sadie beside him. They were flying despirtley over the Nile. He could sense Set close behind.

_ You must escape! _ The voice of Iris said in the Doctor’s mind.  _ Avenge Osiris. Crown Horus king! _

The images suddenly evaporated.

The Doctor was standing next to Iskandar, his face pinched with concern. Glowing hieroglyphs danced around him.

“Forgive the interruption,” He said in English. “But you were almost dead.”

Sadie’s eyes suddenly rolled into the back of her head and she hit the floor.

The Doctor frowned. “Huh.”

“Well?” Iskandar looked at him expectantly, back in Alexandrian Greek. “I’m not going to carry her.”

“Right, right.” The Doctor scooped Sadie up in his arms and Iskandar led him over to the steps below the empty throne.

The Doctor set the girl down and sat beside Iskandar. 

“That was foolish of you, Doctor.” Iskandar scolded.

“I told her not to –”

Iskandar held up a hand to silence the Doctor. “I am aware.”

There was a pause.

“You know me.” The Doctor finally said.

“Indeed.”

“How much?”

“More than I think you’d like me to.”

There was a beat of silence.

“Are you alone, Doctor?” Iskandar finally asked.

“What?” The Doctor was shocked for a moment, “No, no, of course not.”

Iskandar nodded slowly and thoughtfully. “I see.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Before Iskandar could answer, Sadie suddenly groaned and her eyes fluttered open again.

“Welcome back,” Iskandar said, flipping back to English. “You’re lucky you survived.”

“I’m sorry,” Sadie mumbled. “I didn’t mean to –”

“Look at the images?” Iskandar asked. “And yet you did. Your bas left your bodies and entered the past. Hadn’t you been warned?”

“Yes,” Sadie admitted. “But…The Doctor and I were exploring, and we found ourselves back here and…I dunno, I just was drawn to the pictures.”

“Mmm.” Iskandar stared into space, as if remembering something from long ago. “They are hard to resist.”

“You speak perfect English,” Sadie observed.

Iskandar smiled. “How do you know I’m speaking English? Perhaps you are speaking Greek.” It was a joke, but panic and confusion flashed in Sadie’s eyes.

“You’re not really that old, are you?” Sadie asked. “I mean, old enough to remember Ptolemaic times?”

“I am exactly that old, my dear. I was born during the reign of Cleopatra VII.”

“Knew it.” The Doctor said. “I can feel it – his time-placement’s all wonky.”

“Oh, please.” Sadie said, “You can’t be serious.”

“I assure you, it’s true.” Iskandar assured her, “It was my sorrow to behold the last days of Egypt, before that foolhardy queen lost our kingdom to the Romans. I was the last magician to be trained before the House went underground. Many of our most powerful secrets were lost, including the spells my master used to extend my life. Magicians these days still live long – sometimes centuries – but I have been alive for two millennia.”

“So your immortal?” Sadie asked.

His chuckled turned into a horrible racking cough. He doubled over and cupped his hands over his mouth.

Finally, the coughing subsided and he took a shaky breath. “Hardly immortal, my dear. In fact…” His voice trailed off. “But never mind that. What did you see in your vision?”

The Doctor examined Iskandar whilst Sadie explained what they’d seen. He looked ill…

Interestingly enough, Sadie left out the bit about the boy in black as she told the story. Finally, when she’d finished, Iskandar sat for a moment, tapping his staff against the steps.

“You two saw a very old event – Set taking the throne of Egypt by force. He hid Osiris’s coffin, you know, and Isis –”

“She searched the world for it,” The Doctor recalled. “Until Osiris was resurrected.”

“But only in the Underworld,” Iskandar nodded. “He became king of the dead.”

“You would have known that had you let me finish explaining in the memory.” The Doctor grumbled. 

Sadie rolled her eyes.

“When their son, Horus, grew up,” Iskandar went on, “Horus challenged Set for the throne of Egypt and won after many hard battles. That is why Horus was called the Avenger. As I said – an old story, but one that the gods have repeated many times in our history.”

“Repeated?” Sadie asked.

“All gods do it – humans too – you silly apes never learn from your past mistakes –”

“The gods do tend to follow patterns.” Iskandar smiled at the Doctor, though addressed Sadie. “In some ways they are quite predictable: acting out the same squabbles, the same jealousies down through the ages. Only the settings change, and the hosts.”

“In the vision,” Sadie said, “Isis and Osiris were married. Horus was about to be born as their son. But in another story Carter and the Doctor told me, all three of them were siblings, children of the sky goddess.”

“Yes,” Iskandar agreed. “This can be confusing for those who do not know the nature of the gods. They cannot walk the earth in their pure form – at least, not for more than a few moments. They must have hosts.”

“Humans, you mean.” Sadie said.

“Well, theoretically it doesn’t have to be humans,” The Doctor said, “It could be a powerful object – statues, amulets, monuments –”

“– Certain models of cars.” Iskandar pitched in.

“But they seem to prefer human form. See, gods have great power and all that, but only humans have creativity. Brilliant, dense, incredible humans! My favorites, you are.”

Iskandar nodded. “Only humans have the power to change history rather than simply repeat it –”

“Though you rarely do.” The Doctor grumbled. “You may be brilliant, but you sure are  _ dense _ .”

“Go back to your own planet, then.” Sadie teased.

Tension passed between Iskandar and the Doctor.

“What?” Sadie frowned. “What is it?”

“Nothing,” The Doctor said hurriedly, “But I told you, I love humans, even if they’re a bit thick.”

“The combination of human creativity and godly power can be quite formidable.” Iskandar quickly moved on. “At any rate, when Osiris and Isis first walked the earth, their hosts were brother and sister. But mortal hosts are not permanent. They die, they wear out. Later in history, Osiris and Isis took new forms – humans who were husband and wife. Horus, who in one lifetime was their brother, was born into a new life as their son.”

“That’s confusing,” Sadie said. “And a little gross.”

Iskandar shrugged. “The gods do not think of relationships the way we humans do. Their hosts are merely like changes of clothes. This is why the ancient stones seem so mixed up. Sometimes the gods are described as married, or siblings, or parent and child, depending on their hosts. The pharaoh himself was called a living god, you know. Egyptologists believe this was just a lot of propaganda, but in fact it was often literally true. The greatest of the pharaohs became hosts for gods, usually Horus. He gave them power and wisdom, and let them build Egypt into a mighty empire.”

“But that’s good, isn’t it?” Sadie asked. “Why is it against the law to host a god?”

Iskandar’s face darkened. “The gods have different agendas than humans do, Sadie. They can overpower their hosts –”

“Burn them out,” The Doctor explained. “Literally.” He made an explosion sound with his mouth and clapped his hands together. “They have  _ no  _ value of human life.” He sounded disgusted.

“That is why so many hosts die young.” Iskandar nodded solemnly. “Tutankhamen, poor boy, died at nineteen. Cleopatra VII was even worse. She tried to host the spirit of Isis without knowing what she was doing, and it shattered her mind. In the old days, the House of Life taught the use of divine magic. Initiates could study the path of Horus, or Isis, or Sekhmet, or any number of gods, learning to channel their powers. We had many more initiates back then.”

Iskandar looked around the empty hall, as if imagining it filled with magicians. “Some adepts could call upon the gods only from time to time. Others attempted to host their spirits…with varying degrees of success. The ultimate goal was to become the ‘eye’ of the god – a perfect union of the two souls, mortal and immortal. Very few achieved this, even among the pharaohs, who were born to the task. Many destroyed themselves trying.” He turned up his palm. “When Egypt finally fell to the Romans, it became clear to us – to me – that mankind, our rulers, even the strongest magicians, no longer had the strength of will to master a god’s power. The only ones who could…” His voice faltered.

“What?” Sadie asked.

“Nothing, my dear.” Iskandar said quickly. “I talk too much. An old man’s weakness.”

“It’s the blood of the pharaohs, isn’t it?” Sadie asked.

Iskandar fixed her in his gaze. His eyes were no longer milky, but they burned with intensity.

“You are a remarkable young girl.” He decided. “You remind me of your mother.”

Sadei’s mouth fell open. “You knew her?”

“Of course. She trained here, as did your father. Your mother…well, aside from being a brilliant scientist, she had the gift of divination. One of the most difficult forms of magic, and she was the first in centuries to possess it.”

“Divination?” Sadie asked.

“Seeing into the future.” The Doctor said, “Dangerous business.”

“Yes, dangerous indeed.” Iskandar said. “And never perfect. She saw things that made her seek advice from…unconventional places, things that made even this old man question some long-held beliefs…” His gaze drifted off, lost in memories.

“Iskandar?” Sadie asked after a moment.

He looked back at Sadie with mild surprise. “I’m sorry, Sadie. I should come to the point: you have a hard path ahead of you, but I’m convinced now it’s a path you must take, for all our sakes. Your brother will need your guidance.”

Sadie looked tempted to laugh. “Carter, need my guidance? For what? What path do you mean?”

“All in good time. Things must take their course.”

Brilliant. Never a straight answer when you need one.

“And what if I need guidance?” Sadie asked, clearly biting back frustration at his answer.

“Zia,” He said without hesitation. “She is my best pupil, and she is wise. When the time comes, she will know how to help you.”

“Right,” Sadie sounded a touch disappointed. “Zia.”

“For now you should rest. Both of you.” He looked pointedly at the Doctor. “And it seems I, too, can rest at last.” He sounded sad yet relieved.

“Iskandar?” The Doctor asked. He knew that tone…

The man waved it off. “I am sorry our time together was so brief,” he said. “Sleep well.”

“Iskandar,” The Doctor said, before the man could do anything. The man looked at him. “Thank you.” The Doctor said. “And goodbye.”

Iskandar smiled. He reached out to touch the childrens’ foreheads, and the Doctor felt himself drop to the floor into a deep, dreamless sleep.


	13. The Test

The Doctor woke up back in a bed. Carter was still fast asleep, so the Doctor got up, made the bed, and opened the door to explore some more, only to find Zia waiting directly outside it.

“Took you long enough.” She said. “Where’s Carter.”

“Still asleep, I expect.” The Doctor said, glancing back.

“Well go wake him up. I’m not going to stand here forever.”

“You don’t have to be so rude.” The Doctor grumped before closing the door and making his way back over to Carter.

It only took Carter a few minutes to wake up and get dressed in linen – his father’s workbag over one shoulder and, to the Doctor’s irritation, his sword strapped to his back – But Zia was still looking terribly impatient when they got back to the door. She led them through a series of tunnels until they came to a chamber with a roaring waterfall. There was no ceiling, just a shaft above them that seemed to go up for kilometers. Water fell from the darkness into the fountain, splashing over a five meter tall statue of Thoth. Water cascaded over the statue’s head, collected in his palms, then spilled out into the pool.

Zia hurried off to collect Sadie, and the two of them returned only a few minutes later. 

Sadie stared at Carter for a moment.

“What?” The boy asked. “You’re staring at me funny.”

“Nothing,” Sadie said quickly. “How’d you sleep.”

“Badly. I’ll…I’ll tell you guys about it later.” He frowned in Zia’s direction.

The Doctor and Sadie exchanged a shrug.

Zia went to a nearby cabinet and brought out two ceramic cups, dipped them in the fountain, then offered them to the Kane siblings. “Drink.”

Sadie glanced at Carter. “After you.”

“It’s only water,” Zia promised, “but purified by contact with Thoth. It will focus your mind.”

Sadie took a drink immediately, Carter following suit.

“Wow.” Carter said.

“Now the tattoos,” Zia announced.

“Brilliant!” Sadie said.

“On your tongue,” Zia added.

“Excuse me?”

Zia stuck out her tongue. Right in the middle was a blue hieroglyph.

“That’s Ma’at,” The Doctor told Sadie and Carter, “It’s the symbol for order and harmony.”

“It will help you speak magic clearly.” Zia informed them. “One mistake with a spell –”

“Let me guess,” Sadie said. “We’ll die.”

From the cupboard, Zia produced a fine-tipped paintbrush of blue dye. “It doesn’t hurt,” She said, “And it’s not permanent.”

“How does it taste?” Carter wondered.

Zia smiled. “Stick out your tongue.”

Apparently, it didn’t taste all that good, as Sadie spat out a blue gob into the fountain. “Ugh. Never mind breakfast. Lost my appetite.”

Zia pulled a leather satchel out of the cupboard. “Carter will be allowed to keep your father’s magic implements, plus a new staff and wand. Generally speaking, the wand is for defense, the staff is for offense, although, Carter, you may prefer to use your khopesh.”

“Khopesh?” Carter asked.

“That’s what the sword’s called,” The Doctor said.

“It’s a favored weapon of the pharaoh's guard. It can be used in combat magic. As for Sadie, you will need a full kit.”

“How come he gets Dad’s kit?” Sadie complained.

“He is the eldest,” Zia said, as if it were obvious.

“In Ancient Egyptian society – and Modern Egyptian society for that matter – respecting one’s elders is incredibly important – almost sacred.”

“But Carter’s only two years older!” Sadie protested.

“Still,” Zia shrugged, “He is eldest.”

Zia tossed Sadie a leather satchel. Inside was an ivory wand, a rod that would likely turn into a staff, some paper, an ink set, a bit of twine, and a lovely chunk of wax. Sadie looked less than thrilled.

“What about the Doctor?” Carter asked. “Does he get anything?”

“He is not a magician,” Zia said, as if the notion of the Doctor being one was absolutely ridiculous.

“What about a little wax man?” Sadie asked, going through her satchel again, “I want a Doughboy.”

“If you mean a figurine, you must make one yourself.” Zia said. “You will be taught how, if you have the skill. We will determine your specialty later.”

“Specialty?” Carter asked. “You mean like Nectanebo specialized in statues?”

Zia nodded. “Nectanebo was extremely skilled in statuary magic. He could make shabti so lifelike, they could pass for human. No one has ever been greater at statuary…except perhaps Iskandar. But there are many other disciplines: Healer, Amulet Maker, Animal Charmer, Elemetalist, Combat Magician, Necromancer,”

“Diviner?” Sadie asked.

Zia looked at the girl curiously. “Yes, although that is quite rare. Why do you –”

Sadie cleared her throat. “So how do we know our specialty?”

“It will become clear soon enough,” Zia promised, “But a good magician knows a bit of everything, which is why we start with a basic test. Let us go to the library.”

“Brilliant!” The Doctor grinned, “Love a good library, me.”

Zia looked already utterly exhausted with him. She rolled her eyes and set off, leaving the others to follow behind.

The First Nome’s library was about a hundred times bigger than Amos’s, with circular rooms lined with honeycomb shelves that went on for ages – admittedly, it was quite good. For humans. The TARDIS’s was  _ much _ better. Clay shabti statues would pop in and out, retrieving scroll canisters and disappearing, but other than that, they saw no one.

Zia led them to a wooden table and spread out a long, blank papyrus scroll. She picked up a stylus and dipped it in ink.

“The Egyptian word shesh means scribe or writer, but it can also mean –”

“Magician,” The Doctor murmured.

Zia nodded. “This is because magic, at its most basic, turns words into reality. You will create a scroll. Using your own magic, you will send power into the words on paper. When spoken, the words will unleash the magic.” She handed the stylus to Carter.

“I don’t get it,” he protested.

“A simple word,” Zia suggested. “It can be anything.”

“In English?” He asked hopefully.

Zia curled her lip. “If you must. Any language will work, but hieroglyphics are best. They are the language of creation, of magic, of Ma’at. You must be careful, however.” Before she could explain, Carter drew a simple hieroglyph of a bird.

The picture wriggled, peeled itself off the papyrus, and flew away, splattering Carter’s head with some hieroglyphic droppings on its way out. The Doctor smirked and Sadie burst out laughing.

“A beginner’s mistake,” Zia said, scowling at Sadie for silence. “If you use a symbol that stands for something alive, it is wise to write it only partially – leav off a wing, or the legs. Otherwise the magic you channel could make it come alive.”

“And poop on its creator.” Carter sighed, wiping off his hair with a bit of scrap papyrus. “That’s why our father’s wax statue, Doughboy, has no legs, right?”

“The same principle,” Zia agreed. “Now, try again.”

Carter stared at Zia’s staff, which was covered in hieroglyphics. He picked the most obvious one and copied it on the papyrus – the symbols for fire.

This could be problematic.

But the word did not come alive, nor did it set the papyrus aflame. Instead, it simply dissolved.

“Keep trying,” Zia urged.

“Why am I so tired?” Carter wondered.

His face was beaded with sweat and he looked exhausted.

The Doctor whipped out the Sonic and did a quick scan. “Yep, just as I suspected.” He murmured. “You’re channeling power from within, sort of like an internal energy, just like demigods.”

“Demigods?” Sadie asked.

“Well, it’s not exactly the same, but it’s close.”

“I’m not sure exactly what he means,” Zia said, looking at the Doctor warily, “But you are channeling magic from within. For me, fire is easy. But it may not be the most natural type of magic for you. Try something else. Summon…summon a sword.” Zia showed him how to form the hieroglyph, and Carter wrote it on the papyrus.

Nothing happened.

“Speak it,” Zia said.

“Sword,” Carter spoke. The word glowed and vanished, and a butter knife lay on the papyrus.

Sadie laughed. “Terrifying!”

Carter looked like he was about to pass out, but he managed a grin. He picked up the knife and threatened to poke Sadie with it.

“Very good for the first time,” Zia said. “Remember, you are not creating the knife yourself. You are summoning it from Ma’at – the creative power of the universe. Hieroglyphs are the code we use. That’s why they are called Divine Words. The more powerful the magician, the easier it becomes to control the language.”

The Doctor frowned. “In the Hall of Ages, those hieroglyphs that gathered around Iskandar, was he summoning them?”

“Not exactly,” Zia said. “His presence is strong, he makes the language of the universe visible simply by being in the room. No matter what our specialty, each magician’s greatest hope is to become a speaker of the Divine Words – to know the language of creation so well that we can fashion reality simply by speaking, not even using a scroll.”

“Like saying shatter,” Sadie ventured, glancing at Carter and the Doctor. “And having a door explode.”

Zia scowled. “Yes, but such a thing would take years of practice.”

“Really?” Sadie said, “Well –”

Evidently, Sadie could see Carter shaking his head and warning the girl to shut up.

“Um…” She stammered. “Some day, I’ll learn to do that.”

The Doctor raised his eyebrows at her, and she gave him a shrug.

Zia raised an eyebrow at the girl. “First, master the scroll.”

Sadie gave her a look that indicated that she was so completely done with Zia, snatched up the stylus, and wrote  _ ‘Fire’  _ in English.

Zia leaned forwards and frowned. “You shouldn’t –”

Before she could finish, a column of flame erupted in her face. Sadie screamed, but when the fire died down, Zia was still standing there, looking astonished, her eyebrows singed and her bangs smoldering.

“Oh, god,” Sadie said. “Sorry, sorry. Do I die now?”

For three heartsbeats, Zia stared at Sadie.

“Now,” She announced. “I think you are ready to duel.”

They took another magical gateway, which Zia summoned right on the library wall. They stepped into a circle of swirling sand and popped out on the other side, covered in dust and grit, in the front of some ruins. A harsh sun glared down on them.

“I hate portals,” Carter muttered, brushing the sand out of his hair.

“Better portals than a vortex manipulator.” The Doctor said, “I mean, if you want cheap and nasty travel – even if it’s through time as well –”

“This is Luxor!” Carter suddenly cried, cutting the Doctor off. “That’s like, hundreds of miles south of Cairo.”

“Four hundred and twenty miles.” The Doctor hummed, “Or six hundred and seventy five kilometers.”

Carter was looking properly astounded. Sadie raised an eyebrow at her brother, “And this surprises you after teleporting from New York?”

But Carter was too busy checking out their surroundings to answer.

The four children stood on a wild avenue flanked by human-headed beasts, most of which were broken. The road went far behind them, but in front of them, it ended at a temple much larger than the one in the New York museum.

The walls were six stories high at the very least. Large stone pharaohs stood guard on either side of the entrance, and a single obelisk stood to the left. It looked as though one used to stand on the right as well, but it was now gone.

“Luxor’s actually the modern name,” The Doctor hummed as he walked around, “Originally, this was the City of Thebes. They were actually settled in, oh, 1000 B.C.? Mostly by Boeotian settlers –”

“Nobody cares, Doctor.” Sadie sighed.

“Egyptian history will be  _ vital  _ for your further education.” Zia scolded Sadie. “This temple here was one of the most important in Egypt. That is why it is the best place for us to practice.”

“Because it’s already destroyed?” Sadie asked.

Zia scowled. “No, Sadie – because it is still full of magic. And it was sacred to your family.”

“Our family?” Carter asked.

As per usual, Zia decided not to explain and simply gestured for the others to follow her.

“I don’t like these ugly sphinxes,” Sadie mumbled as they walked down the path.

“Those ugly sphinxes are creatures of law and order,” Zia said, “protectors of Egypt. They are on our side.”

“If you say so.”

Carter nudged Sadie as they passed the obelisk. “You know the missing one is in Paris.”

Sadie rolled her eyes. “Thank you, Mr. Wikipedia. I thought they were in New York and London.”

“That’s a different pair.”

“Why don’t you go tell the Doctor these things?” Sadie asked.

“Because he already knows them.” Carter pouted.

There was a beat of silence.

“You know, the other Luxor obelisk is in Paris.”

“I wish I was in Paris,” Saide grumbled. “Lot better than this place.”

They walked into a dusty courtyard surrounded by crumbling pillars and statues with various missing body parts.

“Where are the people?” Sadie asked. “Middle of the day, winter holidays. Shouldn’t there be loads of tourists?”

Zia made a distasteful expression. “Usually, yes. I have encouraged them to stay away for a few hours.”

“How?”

“Common minds are easy to manipulate.” Zia said.

“It’s really not your fault, though,” The Doctor said. “You humans with your tiny ape brains –”

Sadie rolled her eyes in exasperation, but Zia glared venomously at the Doctor.

“Er, before either of you kill him,” Carter said, “Maybe we should start the duel?”

Zia seemed hesitant, but ultimately decided that she wouldn’t humour him and nodded.

She proceeded to draw two circles in the sand about ten meters apart. She then directed Sadie to stand in one, and Carter in the other.

“I’ve got to duel him?” Sadie asked. She seemed almost nervous, not for herself, but for her brother.

Carter also appeared to be thinking the same thing. He’d started to sweat. “What if we do something wrong?”

“I will oversee the duel,” Zia promised. “We will start slowly. The first magician to knock the other out of his or her circle wins.”

“So you’re just going to throw them in?” The Doctor protested, “They’ve not been trained, they’ve not –”

“One learns by doing,” Zia shrugged. “This is not school. One cannot learn magic by sitting at a desk and taking notes. One can only learn magic by doing magic.” She glared at the Doctor for a moment. The Doctor gave her a look as if to tell her,  _ All right, but if either of them get hurt, you’ll have me to deal with.  _ Zia rolled her eyes and turned back to Carter and Sadie.

“Summon whatever power you can,” She instructed, “Use whatever you have available. Begin!”

Sadie and Carter exchanged a doubtful look. Sadie opened the leather satchel she’d been given and drew the wand and rod. Immediately, the rod expanded until Sadie was holding a two meter long white staff. Carter drew his sword, though he didn’t quite seem to know what to do with it.

Sadie raised her staff and a small flame suddenly sputtered to life at the end of the staff. The flame quickly died, and Sadie fell to her knees in exhaustion.

“You ‘right?” The Doctor called, just as Carter called,

“You okay?”

“No,” Sadie complained, but she seemed to be fine, just exhausted.

“If she knocks herself out, do I win?” Carter asked.

“Shut up!” Sadie called back.

“Sadie, you must be careful,” Zia called. “You drew from your own reserves, not from the staff. You can quickly deplete your magic.”

Sadie got shakily to her feet. “Explain?”

Zia sighed. “A magician begins a duel full of magic, the way you might be full after a good meal –”

“Which I never got,” Sadie reminded her.

“Each time you do magic,” Zia continued, “you expend energy. You can draw energy from yourself, but you must know your limits. Otherwise, you could exhaust yourself, or worse.”

The Doctor frowned and turned on Zia. “Worse?”

“She could literally burn up.” Zia informed him.

“Oi, you told me they’d be safe!” The Doctor said.

“It’s safer than  _ not  _ knowing how to perform magic!”

“No, it’s not!”

“Hey,” Sadie interrupted, “How come I got so tired this time? I’ve done magic before. Sometimes it doesn’t exhaust me.”

From around her neck, Zia unclasped an amulet. She threw it in the air, and with a flash it turned into a giant vulture. The massive black bird soared over the ruins. As soon as it was out of sight, Zia extended her hand and the amulet appeared in her palm.

“Magic can be drawn from many sources,” she said. “It can be stored in scrolls, wands, or staffs. Amulets are especially powerful. Magic can also be drawn straight from Ma’at, using the Divine Words, but this is difficult. Or” – She locked eyes with Sadie – “it can be summoned from the gods.”

“Why are you looking at me?” Sadie demanded. “I didn’t summon any gods. They just seem to find me!” She put on her necklace but said nothing.

“Hold on,” Carter said. “You claimed this place was sacred to our family.”

“It was,” Zia agreed.

“But wasn’t this…” Carter frowned. “Didn’t the pharaohs have a yearly festival here or something?”

“The Festival of Opet!” The Doctor grinned. “Amon, Mut, and Khons would make this ritual journey from their shrines at Karnak over to here!” He spun around dramatically, his arms out. “He would enter the temple to become one with the gods.”

Zia was nodding, if begrudgingly. “Sometimes it would be purely ceremonial. Sometimes, with the great pharaohs like Ramesses, here –” Zia pointed to one of the massive crumbling statues.

“They actually hosted the gods,” Sadie interrupted, clearly remembering what Iskandar had told them.

Zia narrowed her eyes skeptically. “And yet you claim to know nothing of your family’s past.”

“Wait a second,” Carter protested. “You’re saying we’re related to –”

“The gods choose their hosts carefully,” Zia said. “They always prefer the blood of the pharaohs. When a magician has the blood of two royal families…”

Sadie and Carter exchanged a look, then glanced over at the Doctor, who shrugged. Bast had said the children were born to magic, and Amos had told them that both sides of their family had a complicated history with gods, and that Carter and Sadie were the most powerful children to be born in centuries…

“Their parents were from different royal lines,” The Doctor murmured. “I’d go check myself but the TARDIS is back in London…But if Julius was descended from Narmer…”

“I told you he looked like that picture!” Sadie cried.

“That’s not possible,” Carter said. “That was five thousand years ago. Then the Fausts…” He turned to Zia. “Ramesses the Great built this courtyard. You’re telling me our mom’s family is descended from him?”

Zia sighed. “Don’t tell me your parents kept this from you. Why do you think you are so dangerous to us?”

“You think they’re hosting gods?” The Doctor scoffed.

“That’s what you’re worried about?” Sadie looked stunned. “Just because of something our great-times-a-thousand grandparents did? That’s completely daft.”

“Then prove it!” Zia said. “Duel, and show me how weak your magic is!” She turned her back on the other three children.

Sadie looked offended, then furious.

“Um, Sadie?” Carter called.

But Sadie was not listening. She focused on her staff and threw it directly at Zia. It hit the ground at her heels and immediately transformed into a snarling she-lion. Zia whirled in surprise.

But the lioness did not charge at Zia, she charged at Carter.

“No!” The Doctor dashed in front of Carter, only to be blasted out of the way. He slammed into the wall, only to see Carter’s form flickering, rising off the ground, surrounded by a golden holographic shell, not unlike the one Bast had used, but his giant image was a warrior with the head of a falcon. Carter swung his sword, and the falcon warrior did likewise, slicing the lion with a shimmering blade of energy. The lioness dissolved in midair, and Sadie’s staff clattered to the ground, cut neatly in half.

Carter’s avatar shimmered, then disappeared. He dropped to the ground and awkwardly walked over to the Doctor, “Uh, you okay?”

“Brilliant.” The Doctor said, “Brilliant, that was brilliant,  _ you  _ were brilliant!”

“Oh, uh, thanks.”

Neither Carter nor Sadie seemed tired in the slightest.

“Well?” Sadie turned defiantly to Zia. “Better, right?”

Zia’s face was ashen. “The falcon. He – he summoned –”

Before she could finish, footsteps pounded on the stones. A young initiate raced into the courtyard, looking panicked. Tears streaked his dusty face.

_ “Iskandar is dead.”  _ He told her in Arabic.  _ “In his sleep, just last night.” _

Zia suddenly sat down hard in the sand. She covered her face and began to tremble. The Doctor ran to the girl’s side and placed a hand on her shoulder.

“What is it?” Carter casked. “What's wrong?”

She took a deep breath, trying to gather her composure.  _ “I understand,”  _ She told the initiate.  _ “Go.”  _ He nodded and ran back the way he’d come.

_ “Do you want me to tell them?”  _ The Doctor asked in Arabic. Zia gave him a teary glare, as if to say,  _ Don’t you dare. I don’t need you. _

“News from the First Nome,” She said shakily. “Iskandar…” Her voice broke.

Sadie stared at the Doctor for a long moment. “He’s dead, isn’t he? That’s what he meant.”

The Doctor nodded solemnly as Zia stared. “What do you mean: That’s what he meant?”

“I…” Sadie hesitated, glancing back at the Doctor before saying, “Nothing. How did it happen?”

“In his sleep,” the Doctor said, “Peaceful.”

Zia nodded. “He – he had been ailing for years, of course. But still…”

“I spoke with him last night,” The Doctor admitted. 

“What?” Zia looked up at him.

“He was ready to go,” He promised, “When I spoke to him…He was ready to let go. Living that long…It’s a curse as much as it is a blessing. He’s at peace.”

Zia said nothing, but she seemed comforted by the thought, if slightly.

“It’s not just that,” Zia wiped her tears then rose unsteadily. “You don’t understand. Desjardins is next in line. As soon as he is named Chief Lector, he will order you executed.”

“Not again.” The Doctor groaned as Sadie cried,

“But we haven’t done anything!”

Carter looked like he wanted to ask the Doctor about his previous executions, but decided now was not the best time.

Zia’s eyes flashed with anger. “You still don’t realize how dangerous you are? You are hosting gods.”

“Ridiculous,” Sadie insisted, but the Doctor wasn’t so sure. “

“He will order me to bring you in,” Zia warned, “And I will have to obey.”

“You can’t!” Carter cried. “You saw what happened in the museum. We’re not the problem. Set is. And if Desjardins isn’t taking that seriously…well, maybe he’s part of the problem too.” Zia gripped her staff, like she was tempted to hit the children with a fireball, but she hesitated.

“When we spoke with Iskandar,” The Doctor said cautiously, “He said you were his best pupil, but not only that, he said you were wise. He told us Carter and Sadie have a difficult path ahead of them, and that you would know how to help when the time was right.”

Sadie was looking nervous, yet hopeful. Carter was looking very confused. Zia’s staff smouldered, and her eyes looked like they could shatter like glass at any moment.

“Desjarins will kill them.” He said, “And I think both of us know, that’s not what Iskandar had in mind.”

Zia stood there, holding her staff in front of her threateningly, then finally, she lowered it.

“Use the obelisk.”

“What?”

“The obelisk at the entrance, fools! You have five minutes, perhaps less, before Desjardins sends orders for your execution. Flee, and destroy Set. The Demon Days begin at sundown. All portals will stop working. You need to get as close as possible to Set before that happens.”

“Hold on,” Sadie said. “I think he meant that you should come with us and help us! We can’t even use an obelisk, much less destroy Set!”

“I cannot betray the House,” She said. “You have four minutes now. If you can’t operate the obelisk, you’ll die.”

The Doctor grabbed Carter and Sadie and began to drag them towards the Obelisk, but Zia called: “Doctor?”

When he looked back, Zia’s eyes were full of bitterness.

“If you go with them, Desjardins will order me to hunt you down too,” She warned. “Do you understand?”

“I do.”

“The next time we meet, we will not be friends.”

The Doctor forced a grin. “I look forward to it!”

And with that, he grabbed Sadie and Carter’s hands and ran.


	14. Saved by an Old Friend

Sadie, Carter, and the Doctor ran out of the temple and headed for the obelisk. Just as they reached it, there was the sound of a portal and about one hundred meters down the path, a bald magician in white robes stepped out of the whirling sand vortex.

“Hurry!” Carter cried, bragging the staff-rod from his bag and throwing at her. “Since I cut yours in half. I’ll stick with the sword.”

“But I don’t know what I’m doing!” She protested.

“I never know what I’m doing.” The Doctor shrugged, “Just feel it out.”

The magician regained his balance and spit the sand from his mouth. Then, he seemed to spot the children. “Stop!”

“No thanks!” The Doctor called back.

“Paris.” Sadie suddenly turned to Carter. “You said the other obelisk is in Paris, right?”

“At the centre of the Place de la Concorde.” The Doctor nodded before Carter could respond.

Carter was eyeing the magician. “Um, not to rush you, but…”

The magician raised his staff and began chanting.

Suddenly, he stopped and called out: “Serve the House of Life!”

The air between him and the trio began to shimmer. Waves of heat flowed from the double lines of sphinxes as they moved. Each one cracked down the middle, and ghostly apparitions appeared from the stone. Not all of them were in particularly good shape. The spirit creatures from broken statues had missing heads or feet. Some limped only on only three legs. But at least a dozen were in perfect condition, all coming towards the three children. This was not particularly good.

“Soon!” Carter warned Sadie.

“Paris!” Sadie called and raised her staff and wand. “I want to go there now. Two tickets. First-class would be nice!”

The sphinxes advanced. The nearest one launched itself towards Carter, and before the Doctor managed to pull the boy back, he somehow was able to slice it in half. The creature evaporated into smoke, but it let out an intense blast of heat.

The Doctor pulled Cater back as two more sphinx spirits loped towards them, a dozen more only a few steps behind.

Suddenly, the ground shook. The sky darkened, and Sadie yelled, “Yes!” The obelisk glowed with purple light, humming with power. Sadie touched the stone and yelped. She was sucked inside and disappeared.

“Sadie!” Carter yelled.

In their moment of distraction, two of the sphinxes lunged.

Carter suddenly pushed the Doctor out of the way and was slammed into by the sphinxes, knocking him to the ground. The Doctor could hear the crack from his rib cage.

“Hold him! Hold him!” The magician chanted.

“No!” The Doctor grabbed the boy’s hand and slammed his own onto the obelisk.

Suddenly, they were in a massive public plaza. Rain was pouring down. Sadie was close by, yelling in alarm.

The Doctor managed to distract the sphinxes. He backed up slowly as they approached. His back was suddenly against a wall. He held out his Sonic threateningly, but the sphinxes did not seem frightened in the slightest.

The sphinxes opened their mouths, revealing smoky fangs. They were about to pounce, when a familiar voice shouted  _ “Eat muffins!”  _ In French and sliced the sphinxes in half. Bast gave a satisfied grin at the Doctor.

“Miss me?”

“Doctor are you –” Sadie began, but the Doctor ignored her, instead hurrying towards Carter, who was still flat on his back on the floor.

“I’m okay, I’m –” Carter began, but Bast made her way over and ordered.

“Hold still.”

“What?”

Bast pressed her hand against Carter’s chest and whispered a few words in Ancient Egyptian.

“Broken rib,” she announced. “Better now, but you should rest for at least a few minutes.”

Carter nodded and gestured for the Doctor to help him up. Slowly, the Doctor assisted the boy to his feet and he stood, leaning on Sadie, who’d hurried over.

Once he was on his feet, the Doctor glared at him.

“Never do that again.”

“What?”

“Push me out of the way.”

“I was trying to help!” Carter cried.

“Trust me, Carter,” The Doctor said, “My life is far more expendable than yours. If anyone’s going to be put in danger, it’s going to be me. Not you. Not Sadie.” He sighed and ran a hand down his face. “Come on, let’s get out of the rain.”

The group huddled beneath the eaves of the Palais Bourbon, though neither child seemed particularly interested in said building.

“It was actually built in 1722 for Louise Françoise de Bourbon, who was not only the daughter of Louis XIV, the Duchess of Bourbon, but also secretly an alien.”

“We don’t care, Doctor.” Sadie sighed.

“What about the magicians?” Carter asked, he was sitting on the ground again, glancing around nervously, “We should keep moving, shouldn’t we?”

“I wouldn’t worry about them just yet.” Bast said. “The House will assume you teleported somewhere else.”

“Why?” The Doctor frowned.

“Paris is in the Fourteenth Nome – Desjardins’ headquarters. You would be insane trying to hide in his home territory.”

“Brilliant.” The Doctor grinned.

“Great.” Carter sighed.

“And your amulets do shield you,” The goddess added. “I could find Sadie anywhere because of my promise to protect her. But the amulets will keep you veiled from the eyes of Set and from other magicians.”

Carter turned from the Doctor to Bast too quickly and groaned, wrapping his arms around his midsection.

“Stay still,” Bast ordered. “Really, Carter, you should learn to fall like a cat.”

“I’ll work on that,” He grumbled. “How are you even alive? Is it that ‘nine lives’ thing?”

“Oh, that’s just a silly legend.” Bast scoffed. “I’m immortal.”

“But the scorpions!” Sadie insisted. “We saw them overwhelm you!”

Bast made a purring sound. “Dear Sadie, you do care! I must say I’ve worked for many children of the pharaohs, but you two –” She looked genuinely touched. “Well, I’m sorry if I worried you. It’s true the scorpions reduced my power to almost nothing. I held them off as long as I could. Then I had just enough energy to revert to Muffin’s form and sli into the Duat.”

“I thought you weren’t good at portals,” Carter said.

“Well, first off, Carter, there are many ways in and out of the Duat. It has many different regions and layers – the Abyss, the River of Night, the Land of the Dead, the Land of Demons –”

“Sounds lovely,” Sadie muttered.

“Trust me, they’re not.” The Doctor said.

Sadie raised an eyebrow but didn’t comment.

“Portals are like doors.” Bast said. “They pass through the Duat to connect one part of the mortal world to another. And yes, I’m not good at those. But I am a creature of the Duat. If I’m on my own, slipping into the nearest layer for a quick escape is relatively easy.”

“And if they’d killed you?” Carter asked. “I mean, killed Muffin?”

“That would have banished me deep into the Duat. It would’ve been rather like putting my feet in concrete and dropping me into the middle of the sea –”  
“Also not a lot of fun.” The Doctor added.

“It would’ve taken years, perhaps centuries, before I would’ve been strong enough to return to the mortal world. Fortunately, that didn’t happen. I came back straightaway, but by the time I got to the museum, the magicians had already captured you.”

“Oh, we weren’t captured.” Carter said.

“Really, Carter?” Bast said. “How long were you in the First Nome before they decided to kill you?”

“About twenty four hours.”

“It was actually only eighteen hours fourty-two minutes and twenty six seconds.” The Doctor corrected.

Bast whistled. “They’ve gotten friendlier! They used to blast godlings to dust in the first few minutes.”

Carter frowned. “We’re not – wait, what did you call us?”

Sadie answered, sounding as if in a trance: “godlings. That’s what we are, aren’t we? That’s why Zia was so frightened of us, why Desjardins wants to kill us.”

Bast patted Sadie’s knee. “You were always bright, dear.”

“Hold on,” Carter said. “You mean hosts for gods?” That’s not possible. I think I’d know if…” Carter’s voice trailed off.

“Carter,” Sadie said. “When the Rosetta Stone shattered, it let out five gods, right? Dad joined with Osiris. Amos told us that. Set…I don’t know. He got away somehow. But you and I –”

“The amulets protected us.” He clutched the Eye of Horus around his neck. “Dad said they would.”

“If we had stayed out of the room, as Dad told us to,” Sadie recalled. “But we were there, watching. We wanted to help him. We practically asked for power, Carter.”

Bast nodded. “That makes all the difference. An invitation.”

“But what about the Doctor?” Carter asked. “Does he have a god in him too?”

“Nope.” The Doctor said. “I  _ would  _ know. My brain is…significantly more complex than you silly humans.”

“It does feel like it’s been in my head,” Sadie agreed quietly. “Ever since the museum…I’ve had this feeling. Like a voice inside me…”

“I’ve also been hearing a voice.” Carter admitted. “So either we’re both going crazy –”

“The amulets.” The Doctor murmured. “The amulets you’ve got. They’re symbols of gods.”

“The Knot of Isis,” Sadie breathed, pulling it from her shirt collar. “In the Hall of Ages, I saw an image of Isis, and then I was Isis, trying to get away from Set, and – oh god. That’s it, isn’t it? I’m her.”

“That boy in the image,” The Doctor realized. “He said  _ a  _ ba. Not bas plural.”

“But you were there before me.” Sadie pointed out.

“But you were in proximity.” He murmured. “If the goddess extended that…”

Carter looked down at his own amulet – the Eye of Horus.

Suddenly, he looked up. “Oh, no. No, no, no. Somebody get a can opener. I’ve got a god stuck in my head.”

Bast’s eyes lit up. “You communicated with Horus directly? That’s excellent progress!”

“Progress?” Carter banged his palms against his head. “Get him out!”

There was a beat of silence. “Don’t tell me to calm down!” Carter shouted.

Bast frowned. “I didn’t.”

“Talking to him!” The boy pointed at his forehead.

“This is awful,” Sadie wailed. “How do I get rid of her?”

Bast sniffed. “First off, Sadie, you don’t have all of her. The gods are very powerful. We can exist in many places at once. But yes, part of Isis’s spirit now resides inside of you. Just as Carter now carries the spirit of Horus. And frankly, you both should feel honoured.”

“Right, very honoured,” Carter said. “Always wanted to be possessed.”

Bast rolled her eyes. “Please, Carter, it’s not possession. Besides, you and Horus want the same thing – to defeat Set, just as Horus did millennia ago, when Set first killed Osiris. If you don’t, your father is doomed, and Set will become king of the earth.

“There’s always another way.” The Doctor insisted.

“There really isn’t.” Bast said.

Sadie suddenly ripped the amulet off her neck and threw it down. “Isis got in through the amulet, didn’t she? Well, I’ll just –”

“I really wouldn’t do that,” Bast warned.

But Sadie pulled out her wand and smashed the amulet. Blue sparks shot up from the ivory. Sadie yelped and dropped her wand, which was now smoking. Her hand was covered in black scorch marks. The amulet was fine.

“Ow!”

“Right,” The Doctor said, walking over to Sadie, “I’ll get her out.”

Sadie frowned. “How?”

“I’m a touch-telepath, see. I’ll just push her out.”

“Then do it!” Sadie insisted.

The Doctor tenderly placed his fingers on the girl’s temples and entered her mind. Isis was there, waiting.

_ Get out of my friend. _ He demanded.

Isis laughed coldly.  _ I’m  _ helping  _ her. The same cannot be said for you. Who do you serve? Set? _

The Doctor scoffed.  _ I work for no one. Now get out. _

_ Then stay out of this. Leave us. _

_ I’m not asking. _ The Doctor growled.

_ Oh, I know.  _ Isis said. _Neither_ _am I._

The Doctor suddenly felt the connection sever and his body hit the ground.


	15. La Maison de Desjardins

The Doctor opened his eyes only to see Sadie, Carter, and Bast looking down on him.

“What happened?” Sadie asked, still looking rather panicked.

“I don’t think she likes me.” The Doctor grumbled, rubbing the side of his head and pushing himself off the ground.

“I would imagine not,” Bast agreed.

“What do you mean?” Sadie asked. “You spoke to her?”

“It was in your head,” The Doctor said. “Didn’t you hear it?”

“No, I didn’t.”

“Right, okay. That’s fine, this is fine.” The Doctor began pacing up and down.

“It really doesn't sound fine.” Carter observed.

“They’re just a bit stronger than I thought,” The Doctor murmured. “She shouldn’t have been able to push me out of her head, nevermind knock me out completely…”

Bast sighed. She placed a hand on the Doctor’s forehead and he could feel his head clear. She then took Sadie’s hand and the black scorch marks disappeared.

“I did warn you.” Bast said.

“But what – what are we supposed to do?” Sadie asked.

“Well, for starters,” Bast said, “Carter must use the power of Horus to defeat Set.”

“Oh, is that all?” Carter said. “All by myself?”

“No, no. Sadie can help.”

“I can help too.” The Doctor piped up.

“Oh, super,” Carter grumbled. “What could possibly go wrong?”

“I’ll guide you as much as possible,” Bast promised, “But in the end, the two of you must fight. Only Horus and Isis can defeat Set and avenge the death of Osiris. That’s the way it was before. That’s the way it must be now.”

“So the Doctor can’t be there?” Carter asked.

“He is…” Bast struggled for words. “An anomaly.”

“That’s a lot nicer than how I would’ve said it.” Sadie said.

Bast smiled. “He may join you, though how far I do not know.”

“So if we do this, if we defeat Set,” Carter said, “We’ll get our dad back?”

Bast’s smile wavered. “If all goes well.”

The Doctor frowned at the goddess. “What do you mean? What aren’t you telling us?”

“I cannot explain now.” Bast said. “You must trust me.”

Carter sighed and looked down at his hands. “If I’ve got the powers of a god,” He said, “Then why am I so…”

“Lame?” Sadie offered.

“Shut up,” Carter said. “Why can’t I use my powers better?”

“Takes practice,” Bast said. “Unless you wish to give over control to Horus. Then he would use your form, and you would not have to worry.”

“So they can choose?” The Doctor asked. “Horus and Isis can’t take control unless Carter and Sadie let them?”

“Permission is vital.” Bast nodded.

“No.” Carter suddenly said.

The Doctor turned to him. “What?”

“I mean I’m not giving up control.” Carter said. He’d clearly just been speaking with Horus. “This is our fight. Our dad’s locked in a coffin. Our uncle’s been captured.”

“Captured?” Sadie asked.

“Oh, right.” Carter looked somewhat guilty. “I had a dream.” He took a breath. “I was in this dark cavern, and Uncle Amos, he was sneaking through it. I couldn’t see much, but he was making this faint blue light flicker on his staff. I tried to call to him, but my voice wasn’t working.”

“Do you think you can do that here too?” Sadie asked.

Carter glared at her, but the Doctor gestured for him to go on.

“As he stepped forward, this hieroglyph just appeared at his feet. Amos like, went to cry out, but his mouth froze half open. His body got wrapped with these coils of red light, and he was just frozen, staring straight ahead. I – I tried to fly to him, but I couldn’t move.” He glanced at the Doctor and Sadie before continuing. “There was this echoing laughter, and, and all these monsters emerged from the darkness. Like, these toad creatures, animal-headed demons…” He shook his head. “They’d been waiting for him. It was an ambush. And then Set appeared. He was…clearer than before. But it wasn’t really, y’know, human.”

The Doctor frowned. “What do you mean?”

“It was really skinny, like sickly skinny. And it was black and slimy. And his head was like some sort of beast. He said something in French – ‘Bon soir.’ Sadie, what you said about Set getting away – maybe he didn’t. If he was looking for a powerful host –”

“Desjardins.” The Doctor realized.

Bast growled deep in her throat. “Desjardins was in London the night your father broke the Rosetta Stone, wasn’t he? Desjardins has always been full of anger, full of ambition. In many ways, he would be the perfect host for Set. If Set managed to possess Desjardins’ body, that would mean the Red Lord now controls the man who is Chief Lector of the House…by Ra’s throne. I hope you’re wrong. Carter, Sadie, you will have to learn to use the power of the gods quickly. Whatever Set is planning, he’ll do it on his birthday, when he’s strongest. That’s the third Demon Day – three days from now.”

“But I’ve already used Isis’s powers, haven’t I?” Sadie asked. “I’ve summoned hieroglyphs. I activated the obelisk at Luxor. Was that her or me?”

“Both, dear,” Bast said. “You and Carter have great abilities on your own, but the power of the gods has hastened your development, and given you an extra reservoir to draw on. What would’ve taken you years to learn, you’ve accomplished in days. The more you channel the power of the gods, the more powerful you will become.”

“And the more dangerous it gets.” Carter guessed. “The magicians told us hosting the gods can burn you out, kill you, drive you crazy.”

Bast fixed her eyes on the boy. “Not everyone can host a god, Carter. That’s true. But you two are both blood of the pharaohs. You combine two ancient bloodlines. That’s very rare, very powerful. And besides, if you think you can survive without the power of the gods, think again. Don’t repeat your mother’s –” She stopped herself.

“What?” Sadie demanded. “What about our mother?”

“I shouldn’t have said that.”

“Tell us, cat!” Sadie shouted.

For a moment, the Doctor feared Bast might unsheathe her knives. But instead she simply leaned against the wall and stared out at the rain. “When your parents released me from Cleopatra’s Needle…there was much more energy than they expected. Your father spoke the actual summoning spell, and the blast would’ve killed him instantly, but your mother threw up a shield. In that split second, I offered her my help. I offered to merge our spirits and help protect them. But she would not accept my help. She chose to tap her own reservoir…”

“Her own magic,” Sadie murmured.

Bast nodded sadly. “When a magician commits herself to a spell, there is no turning back. If she overreaches her power…well, your mother used her last bit of energy protecting your father. To save him, she sacrificed herself. She literally –”

“Burned up.” The Doctor said. Zia had warned them about that.

The rain kept pouring down. Sadie and Carter were both shivering from being cold and damp.

Sadie wiped a tear from her cheek. She picked up her amulet and glared at it resentfully. “We’ve got to save Dad. If he’s really got the spirit of Osiris…” Her voice trailed off.

“Right then, how do we stop Set,” The Doctor said, “Preferably without giving anyone over to the gods.”

Bast thought for a moment. “There might be a way to do that. There’s a book by Thoth – one of the rare spell books written by the god of wisdom himself. The one I’m thinking of details a way to overcome Set. It is the prized possession of a certain magician. All we need to do is sneak into his fortress, steal it, and leave before sunset, while we can still create a portal to the United States.”

The Doctor grinned. “Brilliant.”

“Hold up,” Carter said. “Which magician? And where’s the fortress?” Bast stared at Carter as if he were dense. “Why, I think we already discussed him. Desjardins. His house is right here in Paris.”

Desjardins’ house was massive. It was on the other side of the Tuileries, on the rue des Pyramides.

“Pyramids Road?” Sadie said. “Obvious much?”

“You’d be surprised what humans are willing to overlook,” The Doctor said, “There’s an Alien Street in South Africa, and I’ve got a few mates over there.”

Carter stared. “Wait, there are aliens just like, on Earth?” 

“Course!” The Doctor said, “Who d’you think makes candy floss?”

“Wait, you’re telling me that the only people who can make candy floss are aliens?” Sadie raised an eyebrow doubtfully.

The Doctor scoffed. “You’re brilliant, but you’re not  _ that  _ brilliant.”

The house had gilded spikes atop its wrought iron fence. Even in the winter rain, the front garden was bursting with flowers. Five stories of white marble walls and black-shuttered windows loomed before the group. The entire mansion was topped off by a roof garden.

Carter pointed to the front door, which was painted a brilliant shade of red. “Isn’t red a bad colour in Egypt? The colour of Set?”

The Doctor nodded. “It’s considered the colour of chaos and destruction.”

Sadie frowned. “I thought black was the evil colour.”

“No, dear.” Bast sighed. “As usual, modern folk have it backward. Black is the colour of good soil, like the soil of the Nile. You can grow food in blcak soil. Food is good. Therefore black is good. Red is the colour of desert sand. Nothing grows in the desert. Therefore red is evil.”

“Actually, there are loads of things that grow in the desert,” The Doctor corrected. “Dates, millet, sorghum –”

“A decomposing alien corpse,” Sadie smirked.

“Oi! That’s rude!”

“So how do we plan on getting in?” Carter asked. “I can’t imagine we can just walk in the front door.”

“There will be guards,” Bast agreed. “And traps. And alarms. You can bet the house is heavily charmed to keep out gods.”

“Magicians can do that?” Carter asked.

“Alas, yes,” Bast said. “I will not be able to cross the threshold uninvited. You, however –”

“I thought we’re gods too,” Sadie said.

“That’s the beauty of it,” Bast said. “As hosts you are still quite human. I have taken full possession of Muffin, so I am pretty much me – a goddess. But you are still – well, yourselves. Clear?”

“No.” Carter said.

“I suggest you turn into birds,” Bast said. “You can fly to the roof garden and make your way in. Plus, I like birds.”

“Right, two problems with that,” The Doctor said, “First, Sadie and Carter don’t know how to turn into birds.”

“I can fix that,” Bast said.

“Second, I  _ can’t  _ turn into a bird.”

“Yes, that could be a problem.” Bast decided. “I could turn you into a bird, I suppose…But whether or not I could turn you back…”

“I’m going to climb up the side of the building.” The Doctor sighed. 

“Wait, what if you fall!” Carter called.

“I’ll try not to, then!” The Doctor called back.

He made his way towards the side of the building and pulled himself onto the first window ledge. From the corner of his eye, he could see Carter and Sadie talking to Bast. After a few minutes, Carter was a noble falcon and Sadie was a beautiful gray kite. The two took flight, soaring over the Doctor’s head as he continued his ascent.

By the time the Doctor managed to pull himself into the last window ledge before the roof garden he was drenched in sweat and his hands were aching. Somehow, he managed to pull himself up, and shove himself through the two glass doors that would lead him into the garden.

Instead of the garden, the Doctor found himself in a rather lovely library where the Kane siblings were waiting. The room was big, with dark mahogany furniture and covered from floor to ceiling with bookshelves, and even so, books overflowed onto the floor, some were stacked on tables or shoved into smaller shelves. There was a big easy chair that sat by the window. 

Aside from the glass doors to the rooftop, the only other exit was a solid wooden door that locked from the inside. Sadie was still in her bird form, pacing around the room. Carter, who was back to normal, was standing by the bookshelves, scanning the labels.

“Someone needs to teach this guy to organize,” He grumbled.

“Any particular reason that Sadie’s still a bird?” The Doctor asked.

“Oh, yeah,” Carter laughed. “She’s stuck.”

“Stuck?”

The bird glowered at Carter and the Doctor and let out a “Ha–ha–ha.”

The Doctor smirked but said nothing and joined Carter on his search for the Book of Thoth. With any luck, Bast would be able to help Sadie turn back later.

Carter had been right, none of the books were alphabetized or numbered, and none of them outright said,  _ Book of Thoth. _

“What would a Book of Thoth even look like?” Carter wondered aloud.

The Doctor gave a shrug and Sadie continued to glower.

“Ooh, this looks more ancient.” The Doctor murmured, pulling out a thin volume bound in linen. The front cover was inscribed in hieroglyphics.

“Is that it?” Carter asked.

“No, not quite,” The Doctor admitted.

“What is it, then?”

“The Book of Summoning Fruit Bats.”

Carter stared. “Seriously?”

The Doctor shrugged.

The boy frowned. “Who would want to summon fruit bats?”

“Loads of people,” The Doctor said, “Farmers actually love fruit bats. They eat so many bugs that they actually reduce the amount of pesticides farmers need to use. Not to mention, they’re heavily involved in seed dispersal since as they fly their guano –”

“Ha–ha–ha.” Sadie cried. Likely  _ ‘Shut up’  _ Or ‘ _ No one cares.’ _

“Yeah, I seriously doubt Desjardins is a farmer in his spare time though.” Carter nodded. He suddenly slung his father’s bag off his shoulder. He pulled out the magic box and set it on the table, sliding open the top and picking up the small wax figurine. “Doughboy, help me find the Book of Thoth in this library.”

His waxy eyes opened immediately. “And why should I help you?”

“Because you have no choice.” Carter pointed out.

“I hate that argument! Fine – hold me up. I can’t see the shelves.”

Carter began to walk the clay figure around the room, showing him the books.

Only ten minutes later, Doughboy squealed with delight. “Oh, look! I remember this painting.” It was a small oil portrait in a gilded frame, hanging on the end of a bookshelf. It was bordered by small silk curtains and a light shone upon the man in the portrait’s face.

“Isn’t that the guy who plays Wolverine?” Carter asked.

“You disgust me!” Doughboy said. “That is Jean-François Champollion!”

“He’s the one who took credit for deciphering the hieroglyphs from the Rosetta Stone.”

Carter raised an eyebrow. “Took credit for?”

“Yeah, my fault, sorry.” The Doctor admitted. “Was an accident.”

“How do you accidentally decipher the Rosetta Stone?”

“Carter, I can read every language in the past, present, and future of the universe. I forgot.”

“You forgot.” Carter stared at him. “You forgot that the rest of the world couldn’t read it?”

“Universe.” The Doctor corrected.

Carter sighed. “So this Jean guy –”

“Desjardins’ great uncle.” Doughboy said.

The Doctor glanced back at the picture again. He could see the resemblance. They had the same fierce black eyes.

“Wait, great uncle?” Carter asked. “But wouldn’t that make Desjardins –”

“About two hundred years old.” The Doctor nodded.

“Still a youngster.” Doughboy said. “You know that when Champollion first deciphered the hieroglyphics, he fell into a coma for five days?”

“That one wasn’t my fault.” The Doctor promised.

“He became the first man outside the House of Life to ever unleash their magic, and it almost killed him.” Doughboy went on. “Naturally, that got the attention of the First Nome. Champollion died before he could join the House of Life, but the Chief Lector accepted his descendants for training. Desjardins is very proud of his family…but a little sensitive too, because he’s such a newcomer.”

“That’s why he didn’t get along with our family,” Carter guessed. “We’re like…ancient.” Doughboy cackled. “And your father breaking the Rosetta Stone? Desjardins would’ve viewed that as an insult to his family honour.”

“Prince Zuko needs to cool it.” The Doctor murmured.

Carter stared at the Time Lord in shock.

“Did you – Did you just make an Avatar joke?”

“I’ll have you know it’s a very popular show on a lot of planets.” The Doctor said defensively. “I was actually the original inspiration for Aang –”

Suddenly, there were banging sounds below them, like someone was closing a door downstairs.

“Show me where the Book of Thoth is,” Carter ordered Doughboy. “Quick!”

As they hurried down the shelves, Doughboy kept a running commentary on the books.

“Ah, Mastery of the Five Elements!”

“Oh, I’ve heard of that one!” The Doctor said.

“Is that the one we want?” Carter asked.

“No but it’s a good one.” Doughboy said.

“It’s about how to tame the five essential elements of the universe,” The Doctor grinned, “Earth, air, water, fire, and cheese!”

“Cheese?” Carter asked.

“Yes, cheese.” Doughboy confirmed. “But moving right along!” They turned to the next shelf. “No, No. Boring. Boring. Oh, Clive Cussler! No. No.”

Finally, Doughboy cried out, “There!”

“Where?” The Doctor asked.

“The blue book with the gold trim,” Doughboy said. “That one that’s –”

Carter grabbed the book and pulled it out. The entire room began to shake.

“– trapped.” Doughboy continued.

Sadie squawked urgently and took flight. Something small and black swooped down from the ceiling. Sadie clashed with it in midair, and the black figure disappeared down her throat.

That was not particularly…lovely to look at.

Alarms blared downstairs. More black forms dropped from the ceiling and appeared to multiply in the air, swirling into a funnel cloud of fur and wings.

“Well, it seems that farmers aren’t the only ones who like fruit bats.” The Doctor said.

“You mess with the wrong books, you trigger a plague of fruit bats,” Doughboy cackled. “That’s the trap!”

The fruit bats dove and clawed at the Doctor and Carter as they boys ran back towards the rooftop.

“Sadie, run!” The Doctor shouted.

“SAW!” She cried, which he seriously hoped meant yes.

The Doctor managed to find Julius’s workbag through the commotion and pass it to Carter, who shoved the book and Doughboy inside. The library door rattled and angry voices yelled.

“Turn into a bird again!” The Doctor pulled Carter towards the rooftop.

“Wait, but you can’t –”

“Go!”

Carter sprinted for the glass doors and launched himself into the air, transforming into a falcon as he leapt.

The Doctor hesitated for a moment. He had two options. Neither looked particularly good.

He ran for the glass doors and jumped.


	16. The Washington Monument

The Doctor hit the ground. Hard.

Had he been human, he likely would’ve been dead. As it was, it didn’t feel great. He’d definitely broken a few ribs, as well as a couple places on his left arm and wrist. He could feel numerous bruises, but other than those, he seemed relatively unharmed.

A few moments later, he felt himself being rushed by a familiar cat goddess and the two Kane siblings – it seemed that Sadie had managed to get herself back to normal.

“You okay?” Sadie asked. 

“Fine, brilliant even.” The Doctor said. “We need to get out of here.”

He glanced up at the sky where an angry black cloud of fruit bats were getting closer and closer.

“The Louvre.” Bast said, helping the Doctor to scramble to his feet. He was very fortunate that he hadn’t broken his legs, as the red door of Desjardins’ house was blasted open. No one dared look back as they ran for their lives down the rue des Pyramides.

They raced along in the cold rain. The Doctor glanced back only to see two figures in pursuit – two men with shaved heads and goatees in rain jackets, each carrying a glowing staff. The bats were a lot closer to the group – right at their heels, nipping at their legs and buzzing their hair.

“Sadie,” Bast called as they ran, “You’ll have only seconds to open the portal.”

“Where is it?” Sadie yelled back.

They dashed across the rue de Rivoli into a wide plaza surrounded by the wings of the Louvre. Bast made straight for the glass pyramid at the entrance, glowing in the dusk.

“You can’t be serious,” Sadie said. “That isn’t a real pyramid.”

“Of course it’s real,” Bast said. “The shape gives the pyramid its power. It is a ramp to the heavens.”

The bats were all around them now – biting their arms, flying around their feet. As their numbers increased, it got increasingly difficult to see or move.

Carter reached for his sword, then apparently remembered that it wasn’t there anymore – fortunately for all of them in the Doctor’s opinion – and rummaged around in the workbag.

“Don’t slow down!” Bast warned.

Carter pulled out his wand. In complete frustration, he threw it at a bat. The wand suddenly glowed white-hot and thumped the bat solidly in the head, knocking it out of the air. The wand ricocheted through the swarm, thumping eight more of them before returning to Carter’s hand.

“Not bad!” Sadie called. “Keep it up!”

They arrived at the base of the pyramid. Fortunately, the plaza was empty. 

“One minute until sundown.” The Doctor and Bast said in unison.

“Our last chance for summoning is now.” Bast added, unsheathing her knives and beginning to slice down the bats from the air.

Carter’s wand flew wildly, knocking fruit bats every which way. Sadie faced the pyramid and concentrated. Tears trickled down the young girl’s face.

Suddenly, the pyramid trembled. Its glass walls shimmered and the top of the structure began to glow.

A swirling sand vortex appeared, though there was one issue: It was hovering above the very top of the pyramid.

“Climb!” Bast said.

“Easy for you to say,” The Doctor grumbled. “You’re a cat.”

As much as he’d never admit it, his current injuries were likely to prevent him from reaching the top. But if he could just get Sadie and Carter there…

“I’ll toss you,” Bast suggested.

“What?”

Bast grabbed the nearest child – Carter – and picked him up by his collar and trousers, tossing him up the side of the pyramid. The young boy skittered to the top in a rather graceless manner and was plunged into the portal.

“Sadie, you’re next!” Bast said.

Before the girl could move, a man’s voice yelled, “Stop!”

Sadie froze. 

The two magicians were approaching. “Surrender, Miss Kane, and return our master’s property.” The taller one demanded.

“Sadie, come on!” The Doctor urged.

“Don’t listen to them,” Bast warned, “Come here.”

“The cat goddess deceives you,” the magician said. “She abandoned her post. She endangered us all. She will lead you to ruin.”

He very clearly meant what he was saying. He was absolutely convinced. Even Bast looked wounded – grief-stricken. It was a look the Doctor had seen many times before.

“What does he mean?” Sadie asked. “What did you do wrong?”

“We have to leave,” Bast warned. “Or they will kill us.”

Sadie hesitated for a long moment.

“Toss me.”

Bast grabbed the girl. “See you in America.”

She chucked the girl up the side of the pyramid.

Bast then grabbed the Doctor just as the magician roared, “Surrender!”

An explosion rattled the glass next to the Time Lord’s head as he was plunged into the vortex of sand. Some piece of debris made impact with the side of his skull and everything went dark.

The Doctor groaned as he woke up in a small room with industrial carpeting, gray walls, and metal-framed windows. He glanced around only to see Sadie on the ground next to him, unconscious but beginning to stir.

Carter and Bast were standing by the window.

The Doctor stumbled to his feet, causing Carter to turn around and a look of relief wash over him. “You’re alive!”

The Doctor frowned in confusion. “Yeah, of course.”

“It’s just…you got all weird and stopped breathing for a bit. Bast said it was just  _ super  _ shallow, but…”

“Oh, right. Light healing coma. Must’ve been triggered when I got hit in the head.”

“Oh, so you just almost die sometimes?”

The Doctor laughed, making his way to his feet and approaching the window, only to see an entire city spread out before him. They were well above a hundred meters in the air. There were white government buildings clustered around networks of parks and circular roads, all spread out under a winter sky.

It wasn’t for another couple of minutes that Sadie woke up.

“Where are we?” She asked groggily.

With a little assistance from her brother, she joined the group at the window.

“Washington D.C.,” The Doctor said, “See, that’s the White House, right there.”

Sadie looked shocked. “But we’re sky high!”

Bast chuckled. “You didn’t specify any particular American city, did you?”

“Well…no.”

“So you got the default portal for the U.S. – the largest single source of Egyptian power in North America.”

Sadie stared uncomprehendingly.

“The largest obelisk ever constructed,” The Doctor said. “The Washington Monument.”

Sadie nearly fell over.

“You should rest.” Carter said, then glanced at the Doctor. “You too. You guys were out for…how long, Bast?”

“Two hours and thirty-two minutes,” Bast said. “I’m sorry, Sadie. Opening more than one portal a day is extremely taxing, even with Isis’s help.”

Carter frowned. “But we need her to do it again, right? It’s not sunset here yet. We can still use portals. Let’s open one and get to Arizona. That’s where Set is.”

Bast pursed her lips. “Sadie can’t summon another portal. It would overextend her powers. I don’t have the talent. The Doctor doesn’t have the magic. And you, Carter…well, your abilities lie elsewhere. No offense.”

“Oh, no,” Carter grumbled. “I’m sure you’ll call me next time you need to boomerang some fruit bats.”

“We wouldn’t be able to use the Washington Monument anyways,” The Doctor said. “Portals need time to cool down, remember? This one can’t be used for –”

“Another twelve hours.” Carter cursed. “I forgot about that.”

Bast nodded. “And by then, the Demon Days will have begun.”

“So we need another way to Arizona,” Carter said. 

There was an uncomfortable pause. No one seemed to have any ideas.

“At least those magicians can’t follow us,” Sadie said.

Bast hesitated. “Not through the portal, no. But there are other magicians in America. And worse…Set’s minions.”

“Have you looked at Thoth’s spellbook yet?” The Doctor asked. “Found anything useful there?”

“Bast and I couldn’t read it.” Carter admitted. “Even Doughboy was stumped.”

The Doctor picked up the book. It was a scroll folded into sections. The papyrus was brittle and hieroglyphs and illustrations crowded the page.

The Doctor frowned. “There’s…It’s like there’s something blocking it…” He pounded his head with his hands. “I  _ should _ be able to see through it.”

“But you can’t.” Carter sighed. “All that work for nothing.”

“Now, now,” Bast said. “It’s not so bad.”

“Right,” Sadie said. “We’re stuck in Washington, D.C. We have two days to make it to Arizona and stop a god we don’t know how to stop. And if we can’t, we’ll never see our dad or Amos again, and the world might end.”

“That’s the spirit!” Bast said brightly. “Now, let’s have a picnic.” She snapped her fingers. The air shimmered, and a pile of Friskies cans and two jugs of milk appeared on the carpet.

“Um,” Carter said, “can you conjure any people food?”

Bast blinked. “Well, no accounting for taste.”

The air shimmered again and a plate full of grilled cheese sandwiches and crisps appeared, along with a six-pack of Coke.

“Yum,” Sadie said.

Carter muttered something under his breath about how he didn’t really like grilled cheese.

“We should leave soon.” Carter said between bites. “I mean…tourists and all.”

“No tourists,” The Doctor said. “The Monument closed at six.”

“We might as well stay the night.” Bast said. “If we must travel during the Demon Days, best to do it in daylight hours.”

They continued their meal mostly in silence. Not that the Doctor didn’t try. Neither Sadie nor Carter seemed particularly interested in how Coca Cola was actually an alien invention that was sold by humans – there’s a reason they won’t release the recipe, Carter.

“Could you not?” Sadie asked as their meal finished and Bast began licking her hand. “It’s disturbing.”

“Oh.” She smiled. “Sorry.”

Sadie closed her eyes and leaned against the wall.

“What’s that?” She asked after a moment.

“What’s what?” The Doctor asked.

“The building feels like it’s buzzing.” Sadie said. “Is it the wind?”

“Magic energy,” Bast said. “I told you, this is a powerful monument.”

The Doctor frowned. He could feel the very energy of the air. There was a sort of…unique buzz to this place.

“But it’s modern.” Sadie said. “Like the Louvre pyramid. Why is it magic?”

“The Ancient Egyptians were excellent builders, Sadie.” Bast explained. “They picked shapes – obelisks, pyramids – that were charged with symbolic magic. An obelisk represents a sunbeam frozen in stone – a life-giving ray from the original king of the gods, Ra. It doesn’t matter when the structure was built: It is still Egyptian. That’s why any obelisk can be used for opening the gates to the Duat, or releasing great beings of power –”

“Or trapping them,” Sadie said. “The way you were trapped in Cleopatra’s Needle.”

Bast’s expression darkened. “I wasn’t actually trapped in the obelisk. My prison was a magically created abyss deep in the Duat, and the obelisk was the door your parents used to release me. But yes. All symbols of Egypt are concentrated nodes of magic power. So an obelisk can definitely be used to imprison gods.”

There was a long pause. “The magician said you abandoned your post.” Sadie said. “What did he mean?”

The Doctor had been intending to ask Bast this question himself, though had decided to wait until they had a more private moment, for this was likely not something she wanted the children to know.

Carter frowned. “When was this?”

Sadie explained what had happened after Bast had thrown him into the portal. Bast stacked her empty Friskies cans, not looking all too eager to reply.

“When I was imprisoned,” She said at last, “I – I wasn’t alone. I was locked inside with a…creature of chaos.”

“Is that bad?” Sadie asked.

Judging by the look on Bast’s face, the answer was yes. “Magicians often do this – lock a god up together with a monster so we have no time to try escaping our prison. For eons, I fought this monster. When your parents released me –”

“The monster escaped too…” The Doctor murmured.

Bast hesitated a little longer than the Doctor would have preferred. “No. My enemy couldn’t have escaped.” She took a deep breath, glancing back at the Kane children. “Your mother’s final act of magic sealed that gate. The enemy was still inside. But that’s what the magician meant. As far as he was concerned, my ‘post’ was battling that monster forever.”

It had a ring of truth to it, she was clearly a painful memory she was sharing. But it hadn't explained what the other magician had said: She endangered us all. The Doctor wasn’t sure how, but whoever Bast had been fighting was still a threat.

Bast suddenly stood up. “I should go scout,” She said abruptly. “I’ll be back.”

The Doctor stood up. “I’ll come too.”

“No,” Bast said, “I can –”

“Come on.” The Doctor made his way into the stairwell, giving Bast little choice but to follow. 

They descended a few flights of stairs until Bast finally slumped down on a step.

“Who was with you in the Duat?” The Doctor finally asked.

“I already told you.” Bast snapped back. “A creature of chaos.”

The Doctor paused for a long moment. “And how long were you there for?”

Bast hesitated. “A long time.”

There was a darkness in her eyes – a brokenness that the Doctor was all-too familiar with.

“You wouldn’t understand.” Bast decided.

“To be trapped in an eternal war,” The Doctor said. “To be locked in conflict, to be unable to run from it – yes, I think I understand.”

Bast looked at him skeptically, as if trying to read him, but unable to decipher the pages.

“You are a mystery to me,” She decided. “Elaborate.”

The Doctor hesitated, unsure what to say. “I just mean that I understand how you feel, and the worst enemy is often the one in your mind. If you let it fester…” He grimaced.

Bast looked perplexed, as if there was something she wanted to say, but wasn’t quite willing.

“I fear there is worse to come,” She finally said. “And I fear that when it does, Carter and Sadie will not be ready.”

“They will be.” The Doctor said confidently.

Bast sighed. “They have no other option.”


	17. A Lovely Flat in the Sky

The Doctor eventually made his way back to Sadie and Carter, leaving Bast on her own.

“…was a diviner.” Sadie was saying. “Mum, she could see the future. Iskandar said she made him rethink some old ideas.”

“You think it’s got something to do with what happened to your mother?” The Doctor asked, joining the siblings.

Sadie nodded. “When they took us to England the last time, she and Dad, they seemed like they were in a hurry, weren’t they? Like they were doing something really important.” She glanced at Carter for confirmation.

“Definitely.” Carter agreed.

The Doctor frowned silently as Sadie continued.

“Would you say freeing Bast was really important? I mean – I love her, of course – but worth dying for important?”

Carter hesitated. “Probably not.”

“Well, there you are.” Sadie said. She glanced at the Doctor. “We think Dad and Mum were up to something bigger, something they didn’t complete. It could be what Dad was after at the British Museum – completing the task, whatever it was. Making things right. And this whole business about our family going back a billion years to some god-hosting pharaohs – why didn’t anyone tell us? Why didn’t Dad?”

“He could have been trying to protect you.” The Doctor hesitated, then proceeded cautiously. “In my experience, the more you know about your powers, and the closer you are to each other…the more likely you are to be…attacked.”

“Attacked?” Carter asked. “By what?”

“By monsters, Carter.”

“What do you mean, ‘in your experience?’” Sadie demanded.

“I’m not unfamiliar with the dealings of gods.” He admitted, grimacing. “Unfortunately.”

“But us, people like us – blood of the pharaohs,” Sadie said. “You’ve met people like us before?”  
“Not exactly, no.”

Sadie raised an eyebrow. “Care to elaborate?”

The Doctor opened his mouth to answer, when thunder rumbled overhead in the cloudless sky.

The Time Lord scowled at the ceiling. “Oh, quiet, you! I’m good on my word!”

Carter glanced at the Doctor warily. “Why are you yelling at the ceiling?”

The Doctor scowled upwards again, then turned to address the siblings.

“No, I can’t elaborate. Bloody Styx.”

Carter frowned. “Sticks?”

Sadie shrugged at her brother.

The Doctor waved their questions away.

“How are your…” He grimaced, “Flatmates?” 

Neither sibling had to respond verbally for the Doctor to know they weren’t okay.

The Doctor examined the children. “Are you afraid?”

Sadie and Carter hesitated. They exchanged a look.

“Yeah.” Sadie finally said. “I am.”

“So am I,” Carter said. “A little.” He dug his wand into the carpet. “No, a lot.”

There was a long stretch of silence.

“What if we can’t do it?” Sadie asked.

“We will.” The Doctor promised.

Carter and Sadie both looked as though they wanted to disagree, but neither were willing to argue with the determined look in the Time Lord’s eyes.

Carter’s eyes landed on the blue book they’d stolen. “I’m starting to think the book about mastering the element of cheese would’ve been more helpful.”

“Or summoning fruit bats.” Sadie said.

“Please, not the fruit bats.” Carter pleaded.

The three of them exchanged a half-hearted laugh.

“You should get some rest.” The Doctor decided. “Humans, you need so much sleep!”

“And you don’t?” Sadie raised an eyebrow.

“I’m Time Lord!” The Doctor cried indignantly. “I don’t need  _ nearly  _ as much sleep as you lot – asleep for half your life, you are!”

“Right, sure.” Sadie seemed to want to argue with him, but her eyelids were sliding shut.

“‘Night.” Carter murmured as he settled down for the night.

“‘Night.” Sadie responded.

“Don’t let the Daleks bite.” The Doctor contributed.

Both children were already asleep before they could ask what that meant.

The Doctor sat quietly beside Sadie, flipping through the stolen book, trying to clear the fog from his vision.

Suddenly, Sadie’s hand shot out in her sleep and grabbed the Doctor’s arm, and he could quickly feel himself sinking into her dream.

At first, he was in a sort of void, everything was black – all apart from Sadie, who was standing next to him, wide-eyed.

“How did you –”

A figure stepped out from the shadows. It was the boy they’d seen from the Hall of Ages vision – a young man with tousled hair and dark brown eyes, still in his black robes.

“You again,” He said.

Sadie could only stare. “Uh…”

“Yep,” The Doctor answered for her. “Always around, we are.”

“What –” Sadie stammered, “What are you…”

“Doing here?” The boy finished Sadie’s sentence. “Spirit travel and death are very similar.”

“Not sure what that means,” Sadie admitted. “Should I be worried?”

He tilted his head curiously. “Not this trip. She only wants to talk to you…” He glanced at the Doctor. “You, on the other hand –”

Sadie managed to tear her eyes away from the young man. “No, no, he’s…Well, I don’t actually know how he got here, but he’s my friend, he…he needs to come too.”

The boy shrugged. “Okay. Go right ahead, then.”

He waved his hand and a doorway opened in the darkness.

“See you again?” Sadie asked the boy hopefully, but he was already gone.

The Doctor and Sadie were in a luxury flat in the middle of the sky. It had no walls, no ceiling, and a glass floor that looked right down at the city lights from the height of an airplane – of Mount Olympus. Clouds drifted at their feet.

Black leather sofas made a U around a glass coffee table on a blood-red rug. A fire burned in a slate fireplace. Bookshelves and paintings hovered in the air where walls would have been. A black granite bar stood in the corner, and in the shadows behind it, a woman was making tea.

“Hello, my child,” She said, then seemed to notice the Doctor and corrected herself. “Children.”

She stepped into the light, revealing a woman in a shendyt from the waist down, and from the waist up she wore only a bikini top. Her skin was a deep blue, covered with stars – not just painted stars, the entire cosmos rested upon her body; gleaming constellations, galaxies bright enough to blind, glowing nebulae of pink and blue dust. Her features appeared to disappear into the universe as it shifted across her face. 

“Nut.” The Doctor greeted.

“Doctor.” Nut said back.

“You know each other?” Sadie asked.

“We’ve met on a few occasions.” Nut said, though it was cold as the vacuum of space itself.

“That makes sense,” Sadie said, “I mean, if you travel through the universe…”

_ “She  _ is not the universe,” The Doctor said. “She is merely a physical manifestation of the universe your tiny little human brains can perceive.”

This very clearly did not please Nut, but she managed to hold her tongue.

“Sadie, come sit and talk.” Nut said, pouring a second cup from her teapot. “Care for some sahlab?”

“Uh, it’s not tea?”

“It’s – you know hot chocolate?” The Doctor said.

Sadie frowned. “Yeah?”

“It’s sort of like that. Only vanilla.”

“Oh.” Sadie glanced at Nut. “Uh, yeah. Thanks.”

Sadie sat down on the sofa and was given a cup of sahlab. The Doctor was not surprised when he was not offered any.

Nut sat beside Sadie on the sofa and set down her cup. “I suppose you’re wondering why I’ve brought you here.”

“Yeah,” Sadie said. “And the Doctor.”

“I did not bring him –”

“You did, actually,” The Doctor said to Sadie, “I’m a touch telepath, see. You reached out in your sleep and dragged me in with you.”

“Touch telepath?”

“Yep.” The Doctor said, popping the ‘p’.

Sadie looked as though she wasn’t quite done talking about this, but decided to wait for a later date.

“Where is here, exactly?” She asked the goddess. “And, ah, who’s your doorman?”

Nut smiled, her bright white teeth reminiscent of bursting galexices. “I must keep my secrets, dear. I can’t have the House of Life trying to find me. Let’s just say I’ve built this home with a nice city view.”

“Is that…” Sadie gestured to her starry blue skin. “Um…are you inside a human host?”

“No dear.” Nut assured her. “The sky itself is my body. This is merely a manifestation.”  
“But I thought –”

“That gods need a physical host outside the Duat?” Nut said, “It’s somewhat easier for me, being a spirit of the air. I was one of the few gods who was never imprisoned, because the House of Life could never catch me. I’m used to being…free-form.”

Suddenly, Nut and the entire flat flickered. For a moment, the Doctor felt like he was about to drop through the floor. Then the sofa became stable again.

“Please don’t do that again,” Sadie begged.

“My apologies,” Nut said. “The point is, each god is different. But all my brethren are free now, all finding places in this modern world of yours. They won’t be imprisoned again.”

“The magicians won’t like that.” Sadie pointed out.

“No,” Nut agreed. “That’s the first reason you are here. A battle between the gods and the House of Life would serve only chaos. You must make the magicians understand this.”

“Nothing like gods sending children to do their dirty work.” The Doctor grumbled. “Throwing children into wars…”

Nut rolled her eyes, getting increasingly frustrated with him.

“The magicians won’t listen to me.” Sadie said. “They think I’m a godling.”

“You are a godling, dear.” Nut touched the girl’s hair gently.

“I’m Sadie Kane,” Sadie insisted. “I didn’t ask for Isis to hitch a ride.”

“They never do.” The Doctor sighed.

Nut elected to continue to ignore him.

“The gods have known your family for generations, Sadie.” She said. “In the olden days, we worked together for the benefit of Egypt.”

“The magicians said that gods caused the fall of the empire.” Sadie said.

“That is a long and pointless debate,” Nut said, and there was a hit of anger in her voice. “All empires fall. But the idea of Egypt is eternal – the triumph of civilization, the forces of Ma’at overcoming the forces of chaos. That battle is fought generation after generation. Now it’s your turn.”

“I know, I know,” Sadie said. “We have to defeat Set.”

“But is it that simple, Sadie? Set is my son, too. In the old days, he was Ra’s strongest lieutenant. He protected the sun god’s boat from the serpent Apophis.”

“Apophis was the physical manifestation of chaos,” The Doctor explained. “He despised creation – he despised the gods, mortals, and everything they built.”

“Yet Set fought against him.” Nut sighed. “Set was one of us.”

“Then he turned evil?” Sadie asked.

“Not evil,” The Doctor said. “Misguided, yes. But not ‘evil.’”

“Set has always been…well, Set. For better or for worse.” Nut said. “But he is still part of our family. It is difficult to lose any member of your family…is it not?”

Somehow, Sadie managed to miss how long Nut’s eyes lingered on the Doctor for.

“That’s hardly fair.” Sadie said.

“Don’t speak to me of fairness,” Nut said. “For five thousand years, I have been kept apart from my husband, Geb.”

“What – what happened?” Sadie asked.

“Punishment for bearing my children,” Nut said bitterly. “I disobeyed Ra’s wishes, and so he rendered my own father, Shu –”

“Hang on,” Sadie said. “Shoe?”

“Shu,” The Doctor said, “S-h-u. He’s the god of the wind.”

“Oh.” Sadie said, glancing back at Nut. “Go on, please.”

“Ra ordered my father, Shu, to keep us apart, forever. I am exiled to the sky, while my beloved Geb cannot leave the ground.”

“What happens if you try?” Sadie asked. 

Nut closed her eyes and spread her hands. A hole opened where she was sitting and she fell through the air. Instantly, the clouds below them flickered with lightning. Winds raged across the flat, throwing books off the shelves, ripping away paintings and flinging them into the void. The Doctor and Sadie were forced to cling to the sofa so as to avoid getting blown away themselves.

Below them, lightning struck Nut’s form. The wind pushed her violently upwards, launching her past the children.

The winds died.

Nut settled back onto the couch. She waved her hand and the flat repaired itself.

“That happens.” She said sadly.

“Oh.”

Even the Doctor had to feel bad for the goddess.

Nut gazed at the city lights far below. “It has given me appreciation for my children, even Set. He has done horrible things, yes. It is his nature. But he is still my son, and still one of the gods. He acts his part. Perhaps the way to defeat him is not the way you would imagine.”

Her eyes continued to linger on the Doctor so long that even Sadie took notice.

“Hints, please?” The girl asked.

“Seek out Thoth.” Nut said. “He has found a new home in Memphis.”

Sadie frowned. “Memphis…Egypt?”

Nut smiled. “Memphis, Tennessee. Although the old bird probably thinks it is Egypt. He so rarely takes his beak out of his books, I doubt he would know the difference. You will find him there. He can advise you. Be wary, though: Thoth often asks for favours. He is sometimes hard to predict.”

“You’ll have to get used to that.” The Doctor muttered to Sadie.

Sadie nodded. “How are we supposed to get there?”

“I am goddess of the sky.” Nut said. “I can guarantee you safe travel as far as Memphis.” She waved her hand, and a folder appeared in Sadie’s lap. Inside were four plane tickets – Washington to Memphis, first class.

Sadie raised her eyebrow. “I suppose you get a lot of frequent flyer miles?”

“Something like that,” Nut agreed. “But as you get closer to Set, you will be beyond my help. And I cannot protect you on the ground. Which reminds me: You need to wake up soon. Set’s minion is closing in on your hideout.”

The Doctor straightened up. “How soon?”

“Minutes.”

“Bloody –”

Before the Doctor could finish his sentence, Nut cut in. 

“But first, there are two more things you should know.” She sighed. “I had five children during the Demon Days. If your father released all of them, you should consider: Where is the fifth?”

“Nephthys…” The Doctor murmured. “Set’s wife…”

“Consider it,” Nut said again. “And lastly…a favour.”

To his surprise, Nut faced the Doctor. She opened her hand and produced an envelope sealed with red wax. “If you see Geb…will you give him this?”

The Doctor gave a silent nod.

“Safe travels, Sadie, Doctor.” The Doctor could help but notice how reluctant she had seemed to wish him such a thing. The goddess then glanced at Sadie. “And Isis, restrain yourself.”

“Wait,” Sadie said. “What do you mean restrain –”  
The Doctor’s vision suddenly went black.

The Time lord snapped awake. He jumped to his feet and grabbed Carter’s arm, waking him up and pulling him to his feet.

“We’ve got to go. Now.”

Bast had returned at some point during their rest and she and Carter immediately got to work packing their belongings.

“What’s wrong?” Carter asked.

Sadie and the Doctor described the vision whilst they packed to go. Sadie searched her pockets frantically only to come up empty. She then checked her magician’s bag and retrieved the three tickets from Nut. The Doctor could feel the sealed envelope pressing against his breast pocket.

Bast examined the tickets. “Excellent! First class serves salmon.”

“But what about Set’s minion?” Sadie asked.

The Doctor glanced out the window. “He’s here.”


	18. Off to the Falconry Competition

The Doctor watched the creature prowling the base of the monument, leaving footprints in the newly fallen snow. He was about the size of a horse, with legs just as long. He had an unnaturally lean, muscled body with shiny reddish gray fur. He may have looked something like a large greyhound, if not for his tail and head. The tail was reptilian, forked at the end with triangular points, lashing around as if it had a mind of its own. And as far as the Doctor knew, it might. His head had coned, oversized ears that stuck straight up and curled inwards. They were wider on the top than the bottom and could rotate almost three hundred and sixty degrees so as to hear anything and everything. His snout was long and curved, much like an anteater, only unlike an anteater, his teeth were razor-sharp.

“The Set animal.” The Doctor whispered.

“Its eyes are glowing,” Carter said. “That can’t be good.”

“How can you see that far?” Sadie demanded.

She was standing beside Carter and the Doctor, squinting at the tiny figure in the snow. The Set animal was about one hundred fifty meters away. The Doctor could see it due to his superior Time Lord vision, but why could Carter see it?

“You still have the weight of the falcon,” Bast guessed. “And you’re right, Carter. The glowing eyes mean the creature has caught our scent.”

Bast’s hair was sticking straight up all over her head.

“Um, Bast?” Carter asked.

“What?”

“Nothing,” The Doctor dismissed it. “We need to get out of here.”

“You don’t understand,” Bast said. “The Set animal is the perfect hunter. If it has our scent, there is no stopping it.”

“Whis is it called the ‘Set animal’?” Sadie asked nervously. “Doesn’t it have a name?”

“He does.” The Doctor said. “But names have power.”

“The Set animal is the Red Lord’s symbolic creature.” Bast said. “It shares his strength, cunning…and his evil nature.”

“Chaotic nature.” The Doctor corrected subconsciously. “Not evil.”

Bast glanced at him skeptically.

The Set animal sniffed the monument and recoiled, snarling.

“It doesn’t seem to like the obelisk,” Carter noticed.

“No,” Bast said. “Too much Ma’at energy. But that won’t hold it back for long.”

As if on cue, the Set animal leapt onto the side of the monument. He began to climb, digging his claws into the stone.

“That’s messed up,” Carter said. “Elevator or stairs ?”

“Both are too slow,” Bast said. “Back away from the window.”

The goddess unsheathed her knives and sliced through the glass. She punched out the window, setting off alarm bells. Cold air blasted its way into the observation room.

“You’ll need to fly,” Bast yelled over the wind. “It’s the only way.”

“I can’t fly!” The Doctor shouted back.

Bast waved a hand and the Doctor could suddenly feel his skin begin to burn. His lungs constricted and before he knew it he was maybe three and a half feet with slim legs and a massive wingspan. Down along his wings, his feathers were colourful reds and yellows that seemed to emit a fiery light. Carter and Sadie stared at him in awe.

“Oh, hilarious.” The Doctor grumbled as he examined himself.

“What kind of a bird is that?” Saide asked.

“A phoenix.” The Doctor said. “A symbol of rebirth.” He glanced at Bast. “You’ve outdone yourself.”

“They also symbol the overcoming of adversity, an undefeatable spirit, and immortality.” Bast said defensively. “They’re a good omen. It was a compliment.”

“A good omen.” The Doctor scoffed.

“Wait, how can you talk as a bird?” Sadie asked.

“The TARDIS, I told you that already.”

“You have five minutes before you turn back.” Bast said. “Now you need to go.”

“I don’t want to be a kite again.” Sadie insisted.

“Sadie, it’s okay,” Carter said.

Sadie shook her head, terrified.

Carter grabbed her hand. “I’ll stay with you. I’ll make sure you turn back.”

“The Set animal is halfway up,” Bast warned, “And the Doctor is running out of time. I’ll distract the Set animal, buy you some time.”

“You’ll be killed.” Sadie’s voice sounded close to breaking. “Please, I can’t lose you too.”

Bast looked a little surprised. She then smiled and put her hand on Sadie’s shoulder. “I’ll be fine, dear. Meet me at Reagan National, terminal A. Be ready to run.”

Before anyone could argue, Bast jumped out the window. She plummeted straight down towards the pavement. Just as she fell, she spread her arms and legs and seemed to relax. She hurtled straight past the Set animal, who let out a horrible scream like a wounded man on a battlefield, then turned and leapt after her.

Bast hit the ground with both feet and took off running. She must’ve been doing ninety five kilometers per hour. The Set animal wasn’t nearly as agile. He crashed so hard, the pavement cracked. He stumbled for a few steps, but didn’t appear hurt. He then loped after Bast and was soon gaining on her.

“She won’t make it.” Sadie fretted.

“We’ve got to trust she knows what she’s doing.” The Doctor said.

Carter nodded. “Now we’ve got to do our part. Ready?”

Sadie took a deep breath. “All right. Before I can change my mind.”

A moment later, Carter, Sadie, and the Doctor were soaring into the cold morning air over Washington D.C.

Finding the airport was easy. The Doctor couldn’t help but notice Carter and Sadie veering towards squirrels or mouses on the ground, before forcing themselves back towards the airport.

The Doctor was still a few meters above a parking garage when he turned back, crashing to concrete.

Carter landed beside him, right before Sadie. The falcon tensed for a moment. Panic appeared in his eyes when nothing happened. He tensed again, and suddenly he was back to his human-y self. Sadie was still a kite. She flapped around in a panic, cawing frantically, a wild look in her eyes.

“It’s all right.” It was Carter who crouched down, moving slowly. “Sadie, don’t force it. You have to relax.”

“Ha!” She tucked in her wings. Her chest was heaving.

“Listen,” Carter said softly. “It helped me to focus on Dad. Remember what’s important to you. Close your eyes and think about your human life.”

She closed her eyes, but almost immediately cried out in frustration and flapped her wings.

“Stop,” Carter said. “Don’t fly away!”

She tilted her head and gurgled in a pleading way. Carter began to just speak to her. Rambling soothingly.

“Okay, Sadie,” Carter said at last. “I’ve got an idea. Here’s what we’re going to do.” He took his father’s magic box out of its leather bag and wrapped the bag around his forearm and tied it with the straps as best he could. “Hop on.”

Sadie flew up and perched on her brother’s wrist.

“We’ll get you out of this,” Carter said. “Keep trying. Relax, and focus on your human life. You’ll figure it out, Sadie. I know you will. I’ll carry you until then. Now come on, let’s find Bast.”

The Doctor and Carter walked to the lift, a bird perched on Carter’s arm. A businessman with a rolling suitcase was waiting by the doors. His eyes widened when he saw the three of them. Admittedly, they must have looked pretty odd – a teenage boy in a brown suit and trenchcoat, and a tall boy in dirty, ragged Egyptain clothes with an odd box tucked under one arm, and a kite perched on the other.

“‘Ello.” The Doctor said.

“I’ll take the stairs.” He hurried off.

“What a strange man.” The Doctor hummed.

“Right,” Carter said. “He’s the strange one.”

The lift took the trio to the ground level. Sadie, Carter, and the Doctor crossed the departures curb. The Doctor glanced around, hoping to see Bast, but she was nowhere in sight.

Carter suddenly sighed. The Doctor glanced in the direction he was looking. A police officer was lumbering in their direction.

The Doctor began walking confidently into the building, gesturing for Carter to follow. He leaned towards Carter to murmur in his ear.

“Walk calmly and –”

“Confidently. With purpose. I know.” Carter said.

It was Christmas break, so the airport was quite busy. The Doctor continuously scanned the room as they walked, searching for Bast.

“Young man.” He wasn’t addressing the Doctor. The boys turned around. “You can’t have pets in here.”

“Oh, we’ve got paperwork.” The Doctor pulled out the psychic paper. 

The officer examined it, eyeing Carter cautiously.

“I see…” He sounded skeptical.

“Carter! Doctor!”

Bast came hurrying over, pushing her way through the crowd.

Somehow, she’d managed to change clothes. She was now wearing a rose-coloured playsuit, loads of golden jewelry, and a cashmere coat. But something about it was…off. It was a glamour. It wasn’t real…Ignoring the officer, Bast sized up Carter’s appearance and wrinkled her nose. “Carter, I told you not to wear those horrible falconry clothes. Honestly, you look like you’ve been sleeping in the wild. Look at your brother,” She glanced at the Doctor’s disheveled outfit. “Given, he’s not perfect…”

Bast took out a handkerchief and made a big production of wiping Carter, then the Doctor’s faces, all whilst the officer stared.

“Uh, ma’am,” He finally managed. “Is this your –”

“Nephews,” Bast lied. “I’m so sorry, officer. We’re heading to Memphis for a falconry competition. I do hope they haven’t caused any problems. We’re going to miss our flight!”

“I showed him the paperwork.” The Doctor shrugged casually, flipping out the psychic paper again. 

“Right, of course, I see…” The officer said. He glanced at the tickets Bast produced for him. “You bought…a first class ticket for your falcon?”

“It’s a black kite, actually,” Bast said. “But yes, it’s a very temperamental bird. A prizewinner, you know. Give it a coach seat and try to offer it pretzels, and I won’t be held responsible for the consequences. No, we always fly first class, don’t we boys.”

The Doctor nodded as Carter said, “Um, yeah…Aunt Kitty.”

She flashed the boy a look that said: I’ll get you for that. Then she returned to smiling at the officer, who returned the tickets and ‘paperwork.’

“Well, if you’ll excuse us, officer.” Bast said. “That’s a very handsome uniform, by the way. Do you work out?”

Before he could respond, Bast grabbed the Doctor and Carter by the arms and hurried the boys towards the security checkpoint. “Don’t look back,” She said under her breath.

As soon as they turned the corner, Bast pulled the boys aside by the vending machines.

“The Set animal,” The Doctor said immediately. “How close?”

“Close.” Bast said. “We’ve got a few minutes at best. What’s wrong with Sadie?”

“She can’t turn back.” The Doctor admitted.

“We’ll have to figure it out on the plane.” Bast admitted.

“How did you change clothes?” Carter asked. Then looked at the Doctor. “And the document for the bird…”

“Oh, mortal minds are weak,” Bast said. “My clothes haven’t really changed. It’s just a glamour.”

Carter then looked at the Doctor expectantly.

“Psychic paper,” The Doctor explained, pulling it out. “Shows people what they want to see. Quite useful, you’ll find.”

“We need to make it to the gate before the Set animal.” Bast said. “It will be easier if you stow your things in the Duat.”

“What?” Carter asked.

“You don’t really want to tote that box under your arm, do you?” Bast said. “Use the Duat as a storage bin.”

“How?”

Bast rolled her eyes. “Honestly, what do they teach magicians these days?”

“We had about twenty seconds of training!” Carter cried.

“Just imagine a space in the air, like a shelf or a treasure chest –”

“A locker?” Carter asked. “I’ve never had a school locker.”

“Fine.” Bast relented. “Give it a combination lock – anything you want. Imagine opening the locker with your combination. Then shove the box inside. When you need it again, just call it to mind, and it will appear.”

Carter looked skeptical, but closed his eyes and concentrated.

After a long moment, he held out the magic box and let it go, but instead of crashing to the floor, it disappeared into thin air.

“Cool.” Carter said. “Are you sure I can get it back?”

“No,” Bast said. “Now, come on!”

The Doctor gave Carter a manic grin and followed.


	19. Leroy the Rabid Moose

Admittedly, this wasn’t the first time the Doctor had tried to take wild animals on an airplane with him. They were moved into a special line whilst security checked the ‘paperwork’ the Doctor had provided them with. Finally, they waved the group through – Bast’s knives didn’t even set off the alarms, so perhaps she’d stored them in the Duat.

The Doctor was just finishing re-tying his converse when they heard a scream from the other side of security.

Bast cursed in Egyptian. “We were too slow.”

Indeed, the Set animal was charging through the terminal, knocking passengers out of the way. His ears swiveled back and forth, foam dripping from his curved, toothy snout, and his forked tail lashed around, looking for something to sting.

“Moose!” One woman screamed. “Rabid moose!”

Everyone began screaming, running in different directions and blocking the Set animal’s path.

“Moose?” Carter wondered aloud.

“Mortals can’t see the Mythical,” The Doctor explained away. “Come on, you need to get on the plane.”

“What about you?” Carter asked.

“I can’t let it hurt anyone.” The Doctor insisted.

“Well we can’t just leave you!” Carter protested.

“I’ve got this. Go!”

“Bast, take Sadie!” Carter passed the bird over to the goddess. “Go to the gate, we’ll meet you there.”

“What?” Bast said, but Carter’s face focused for a long moment, before his hand jutted forth and he pulled his sword from the Duat.

Bast’s eyes widened. “Impressive.”

“Of course it’s the sword.” The Doctor sighed.

“Get moving.” Carter ordered Bast. “It’s our turn to run interference.”

“You realize it’ll kill you.” Bast said.

“Probably.” The Doctor shrugged.

“Most likely.” Carter agreed. “Now, scat!”

Bast took off at top speed, Sadie flapping to stay balanced on her arm.

A shot rang out. The Doctor spun around to see the Set animal plow into a security officer who’d just fired at its head to no effect. The poor man flew backwards and toppled over the metal detector gate.

From the corner of his eye, the Doctor could see something glinting in Carter’s. He had an idea. So it was time for the Doctor to do what he did best.

“Oi!” He shouted at the Set animal.

He locked his glowing eyes on the Doctor. The Doctor began to run, dodging between waiting chairs and currency exchange kiosks, not looking back as the Set animal crashed around behind him, destroying everything in his path.

But the Set animal was much faster than the Doctor, and despite his weaving, the animal was gaining quickly.

Suddenly, the Doctor felt what seemed to be a smack to the back of his right calf. 

The effect was near-instant and the Doctor found his leg buckling beneath him, sending him crashing onto the ground.

The moment he flipped over onto his back and saw the Set animal’s scorpion tail hovering above him, he realized what had happened. He’d been stung.

The Set animal pinned him to the floor, salivating and baring his fangs.

The Doctor raised his arms to defend himself as the Set animal lunged down at him, but the creature’s teeth never touched his arms.

He glanced up, only to see Carter standing above him, a three meter long energy blade in his hands holding off the jaw of the Set animal. Carter himself was glowing, raised slightly off the ground, surrounded by the golden aura of the hawk warrior.

“So you’ve got no name?” Carter asked, a smirk on his face. “They couldn’t think of one ugly enough? ‘Set animal’ is too hard to say. I think I’ll call you Leroy.”

The Set animal growled, but before he could properly protest, Carter sent him flying across the airport into the wall.

“You good?”

“Yeah,” The Doctor went to push himself up, only for his arms to collapse under him. He frowned and tried again, only to curse in Gallifreyan as he dropped back down.

“Doctor?” Carter asked.

“Fine, I’m fine, give me a moment.” The Time Lord could feel his body fighting against the venom. Fortunately, due to his binary vascular system pumping blood through his bloodstream quicker, the venom wouldn’t kill him, but it certainly wasn’t comfortable. His limbs were all somewhat numb and his muscles were contracting irregularly.

Carter was looking concerned to say the least. “Uh, do you want to get up from the floor, or…?”

“Maybe it’s comfortable!”

Carter seemed to survey the Doctor skeptically. “Right.”

The Set animal was suddenly back on his feet, and Carter spun around to go after him, glowing sword in hand.

The Set animal easily dodged Carter’s sword strike but managed to land on the boy’s chest, knocking him to the floor. His tail and claws raked against Carter’s armoured form. The boy caught his neck in his glowing fists, trying to keep his fangs away from his face, but everywhere the Set animal’s drool touched, the magical shield hissed and steamed.

“Chicken man!” A little girl shouted, “Get the moose!”

Alarms were blaring. More and more passengers were crowding the checkpoint to see what was happening. The Doctor had to stop this – and quick.

He managed to pull himself up against a kiosk, though when he tried to get to his feet, he dropped back down again. He furrowed his brow in concentration and tried again. He stood for a few moments before slipping back down. Progress. But not fast enough.

Carter’s hands suddenly closed around the Set animal’s throat and he wedged his knee against the creature’s rib cage. He shoved Leroy, and Leroy suddenly disappeared into the air. Carter had put the Set animal in his Duat locker.

“Where’d it go?” Someone yelled.

Carter ran over to the Doctor and helped him stumble to his feet.

“We’ve got to go.” The Doctor said. “It won’t be long before the security tries to arrest us for that.”

“Yeah, this isn’t your first time getting arrested for fighting a monster in the airport, is it?”

“Nope.” The Doctor said, popping the ‘p.’ “Now, come on.”

The boys reached their flight just as they were closing the gate.

As it turned out, word of the rabid moose hadn't quite spread yet. She gestured back towards the checkpoint as she took Carter and the Doctor’s tickets. “What’s all the noise up there?”

“A moose got through security,” Carter said. “It’s under control now.”

Before she could ask any questions, Carter pretty much dragged the Doctor down the jetway.

Carter dropped the Doctor into a seat next to him, Bast and Sadie – still in kite form – in the seats directly behind them.

“Carter! Doctor! You made it!” Bast let out a huge sigh. She looked at the Doctor. “But you’re hurt. What happened?”

Admittedly, Carter did most of the explaining, the Doctor just rubbed his wrists and concentrated on getting the feeling back into them.

Bast’s eyes widened as Carter finished. “You put the Set animal in your locker? Do you know how much strength that requires?”

“Yeah,” Carter said. “I was there.”

The flight attendant began making her announcements. Apparently, the security incident didn’t affect the flight. The plane pushed back from the gate right on time.

The Doctor grimaced as the muscles in his calf seized painfully.

“Can I –”

“Just some mild paralysis and muscle contractions.” The Doctor gave a limp wave. “I’ll sleep it off.”

Bast looked somewhat unsure.

“The venom contains a complex mix of toxins that affect the nervous system – these are neurotoxins – composed of a number of things, but primarily mucopolysaccharides, hyaluronidase, phospholipase, serotonin, histamine enzyme, as well as neurotoxic peptides.” The Doctor explained. “Now, my physiology is much faster at processing these things than you pathetic humans,” Carter rolled his eyes. “But that doesn’t mean I don’t have to process it. It’s a simple process – I won’t even have to go into a healing coma.”

“Healing coma?” Carter asked. “And that doesn’t explain the muscle stuff.”

“Oh, that’s just chlorotoxin.” The Doctor said simply.

Carter regarded him curiously as the Time Lord explained, “It’s a protein chain in the venom – it may be small little bugger – only 36 amino acids long – but it’s powerful.”

Carter shrugged helplessly.

“See, it’s perfectly shaped to block chloride channels – chloride helps the muscles to know when to relax. By blocking these ions from entering the muscles, they all flex at once.” He grimaced again. “Not fun.”

“Doesn’t sound it.” Carter nodded grimly before yawning. It seemed that using Horus’s power had taken a lot out of him.

“Hey Doctor?” Carter asked after a moment.

“Yeah?”

“You said – you said you were in Sadie’s dream before, right?”

“Yeah?”

“Could you…? Just, if I start dreaming…”

“‘Course.”

Carter gave a relieved smile. “Thanks.”

The Doctor placed a hand on Carter’s shoulder as he closed his eyes and the world descended to darkness.

The Doctor was next to Carter’s ba form, circling over Phoenix. It was a brilliant winter morning. The city was a vast grid of beige and green squares dotted with palm trees and swimming pools. Stark mountains speckled the ground – the most prominent being the one right below them. It was a long ridge with two distinct peaks. Camelback Mountain.

The foothills were crowded with luxury homes, but the top of the mountain was barren. But in a crevice betwixt two large boulders, something caught the Doctor’s attention. A shimmer of heat came up from deep within the mountain.

Carter seemed to notice the same thing, as he folded his wings and dove towards the crevice.

Hot air vented out with such force that it became difficult to push their way through. About fifteen meters down, the crevice opened up.

They were inside the hollowed-out mountain, and in the midst of the cavern, a massive pyramid was under construction. The air rang with the sound of pickaxes. Hordes of demons cut blood-red limestone into blocks and hauled it to the middle of the cave, where more swarms of demons used ropes and ramps to hoist the blocks into place. The pyramid looked about half-constructed, maybe more.

Carter gestured to a smaller shape floating in the air above the pyramid – a reed barge not unlike Amos’s riverboat. On it stood two figures. One was a tall demon in leather armour. The other was a burly man in red combat fatigues.

The two boys circled closer, trying to stick to the shadows. Carter landed atop the mast, and the Doctor just sort of hovered beside him. Neither of the boat’s occupants looked up.

“How much longer?” Asked the man in red.

He had Set’s voice, but he looked completely different. Now he looked…human. He had a big thick body with large hands and a brutish face. His short bristly hair and trimmed goatee were as red as his combat fatigues. But his eyes…they burned with a mixture of hatred, amusement, and an abundance of power.

Beside him, the demon bowed and scraped. It was the rooster-footed man from Carter’s previous vision. He was at least seven feet tall and quite thin with bird talons for feet. His face was red and webbed, and he had fangs and solid black eyes.

“We’re making excellent progress, master!” The demon promised. “We conjured a hundred more demons today. With luck, we will be done at sunset on your birthday!”

“That is unacceptable, Face of Horror.” Set said calmly.

The servant flinched.

“B-but, master,” He stammered. “I thought –”

“Do not think, demon. Our enemies are more resourceful than I imagined. They have temporarily disabled my favorite pet and are now speeding toward us. We must finish before they arrive. Sunrise on my birthday, Face of Horror. No later. It will be the dawn of my new kingdom. I will scour all life from this continent, and this pyramid shall stand as a monument to my power – the final and eternal tomb of Osiris!”

This was where he was. Julius Kane’s sarcophagus lay hidden somewhere beneath that pyramid.

Set smiled cruelly. “You understand my order?”

“Yes, lord!” Face of Horror shifted his bird feet, as if building up his courage. “But may I ask, lord…why stop there?”

Set’s nostrils flared. “You are one sentence away from destruction, Face of Horror. Choose your next words carefully.”

The demon ran his black tongue across his teeth. “Well, my lord, is the annihilation of only one god worthy of your glorious self? What if we could create even more chaos energy – to feed your pyramid for all time and make you the eternal lord of all worlds?”

A hungry light danced in Set’s eyes. “‘Lord of all worlds’…that has a nice ring to it. And how would you accomplish this, puny demon?”

“Oh, not I, my lord. I am an insignificant worm. But if we were to capture others: Nephtys –”

Set kicked Face of Horror in the chest and the demon collapsed, wheezing. “I told you never to speak her name.”

“Yes, master,” Face of Horror panted. “Sorry, master. But if we were to capture her, and the others…think on the power you could consume. With the right plan…”

Set began nodding, warming to the idea. “I think it’s time we put Amos Kane to use.”

“Brilliant, master. A brilliant plan.”

“Yes, I’m glad I thought of it. Soon, Face of Horror, very soon, Horus, Isis, and my treacherous wife will bow at my feet – and Amos will help. We’ll have a nice little family reunion.” Set looked up, directly at Carter. Somehow, he’d known the boy had been there all along. He gave a cruel smile. “Isn’t that right, boy?”

Set reached out to grab Carter.

“No!” The Doctor sprinted forth and smacked Set’s hand away, momentarily shocked that he’d managed to physically touch him.

Set looked just as surprised, looking at the Doctor as if seeing properly for the first time.

But before the god could recover, the Doctor grabbed Carter and closed his eyes, concentrating intensely.

The dream dissolved and they returned to the waking world.


	20. Thoth, god of Electric Guitar

The Doctor jolted up. As did Carter beside him, who banged his knees against the drinks tray.

“You two sleep well?” Sadie asked from the seat behind. She was reclining comfortably, a slice of pizza on her tray table and a glass of Coke in her hand.

“Nice to see you’re back to your normal human-y self.” The Doctor deflected.

“Yeah, thanks.” Sadie said, “I changed back an hour ago.” She turned her head to look at Carter. “It – ah – was helpful, what you said, about focusing on what’s important.”

There was a level of reluctance in the girl’s face. Carter had mentioned thinking about his father, but Sadie…Sadie clearly hadn’t been thinking about that.

Sadie took a sip of her Coke. “You guys missed lunch by the way.”

Carter looked appalled. “You didn’t try to wake me?”

Bast, who had just finished off her plate of salmon and was looking quite satisfied suggested, “I could summon more Friskies. Or cheese sandwiches.”

“No thanks,” Carter muttered.

Bast shrugged. “Doctor?”

“Nah,” The Doctor waved her off.

Sadie examined the distressed look on her brother’s face. “I mean, god, Carter, if it’s that important to you, I’ve got some pizza left –”

“It’s not that.” Carter said. He explained his dream, how Set had almost captured his ba, how the Doctor had managed to pull them out.

Once he finished, Sadie looked desperately towards Bast. “Isn't there anything we can do?”

Bast’s expression was grim. “Sadie, I don’t know. Set will be most powerful on his birthday and sunrise is the most auspicious moment for magic. If he’s able to generate one great explosion of storm energy at sunrise on that day – using not only his own magic, but augmenting it with the power of other gods he’s managed to enslave…the amount of chaos he could unleash is almost unimaginable.” She shuddered, glancing over to the boys. “You said a simple demon gave him this idea?”

“Seemed it.” The Doctor said, running a hand through his hair. “Or at least he altered the original.”

Bast shook her head. “This is not like Set.”

Sadie coughed. “What do you mean? It’s exactly like him.”

“No,” Bast insisted. “This is horrendous, even for him. Set wishes to be king, but such an explosion might leave him nothing to rule. It’s almost as if…” She stopped herself, the thought seemingly too disturbing. “I don’t understand it, but we’ll be landing soon. You’ll have to ask Thoth.”

The Doctor frowned. “Are you not coming?”

“Thoth and I don’t get along very well. Your chances of surviving might be better –”

It was then that the seat belt light came on and the captain announced that they’d begun their descent into Memphis.

After a successful landing (The Doctor reluctantly thanked Zeus for not blasting their plane out of the sky), the Doctor, Sadie, Carter, and Bast made their way out of the airport. The Doctor insisted Bast not ‘borrow’ a car this time, so she agreed to rent one so long as she got a convertible. Soon they were cruising through the mostly-deserted streets of Memphis with their BMW’s top down.

They passed through a neighborhood with big white mansions on massive lawns shaded by cypress trees. On the next block, they nearly got hit by an older woman driving a Cadillac out of a church parking lot. Bast swerved and honked her horn, but the woman simply smiled and waved.

After a few more blocks, the houses turned to rundown shacks. On the next corner stood a cinder block restaurant with a hand-painted sign that read: Chicken & Waffles. There was a queue of twenty people outside.

“You Americans have the strangest taste.” Sadie said. “What planet is this?”

“Actually, chicken and waffles has become a common dish all throughout the traxivore galaxy. ” The Doctor said, “Mind you, this is the same galaxy that made ketchup Mars Bars…”

“Ew.” Sadie made a face.

Carter rolled his eyes and looked at Bast. “And where would Thoth be?”

Bast sniffed the air and turned left onto Poplar street. “We’re getting close. If I know Thoth, he’ll find a center of learning. A library, perhaps, or a cache of books in a magician’s tomb.”

“Don’t have a lot of those in Tennessee,” Carter guessed.

Sadie suddenly pointed to a sign and grinned broadly. “The University of Memphis, perhaps?”

“Well done, Sadie!” Bast purred.

Carter scowled at his sister. Sadie stuck her tongue out at him.

A few minutes later, they were strolling through the campus of a small college: red brick buildings and wide courtyards. It was quiet apart from the ball echoing on the concrete.

As soon as Carter heard it, he perked up. “Basketball.”

“Oh, please,” Sadie said. “We need to find Thoth.”

But Carter followed the sound of the ball, so the Doctor shrugged and followed behind. He rounded the corner of a building and froze. “Let’s ask them.”

The moment he rounded the corner, the Doctor understood why. Sadie, who had been right behind him, yelped. On the basketball court, five baboons were in the midst of an intense game. They wore an assortment of jerseys from different American teams and all seemed keen to win – grunting and snarling at each other, stealing the ball and pushing each other around.

“The sacred animal of Thoth.” Bast said.

The Doctor hummed. “We must be in the right place.”

“Is that…” Sadie squinted at a baboon with golden hair in a very familiar purple jersey. “A Lakers jersey?”

Carter and the Doctor nodded and the three of them exchanged a grin.

“Khufu!” They hurried over to the baboon.

Khufu jumped into Sadie’s arms and barked,  _ “You smell of flamingos! Where did you go?” _ He began picking through the girl’s hair, presumably searching for bugs. He then dropped to the ground and slapped the pavement to show how pleased he was.

Bast laughed. “He says you smell like flamingos.”

The Doctor nodded and added, “He also wants to know were we’ve been.”

“Where we’ve been?” Sadie said. “Well, first off, tell him I’ve spent the better part of the day as a kite, which is not a flamingo and does not end in -o, so it shouldn’t be in his diet. Secondly –”

“Hold on.” Bast turned to Khufu and said,  _ “Sadie was a kite! Don’t eat her!” _ She then looked back at Sadie. “All right, go ahead.”

Sadie blinked. “Okay…um, and secondly, where has he been?”

The Doctor rolled his eyes at Bast, looking at Khufu. “Where’ve you been, then?”

Carter frowned. “You just said that in English, not –”

But Khufu snorted and grabbed the basketball, which sent his baboon mates into a frenzy of barking, scratching, and snarling.

“He dove into the river and swam back,” The Doctor translated. “But when he returned, the house was destroyed and we were gone. He waited a day for Amos, but since he never returned, Khufu made his way to Thoth since baboons are under his protection.”

Bast watched the Doctor curiously as he spoke. 

“But why is that?” Carter asked, not noticing Bast’s watchful eye. “I mean, no offense, but Thoth is the god of knowledge, right?”

“Oi! Baboons are brilliant –”

_ “Once the boy keeps his promise, I take you to the professor!”  _ Khufu said.  _ “He shall show me his basketball skills, then we shall go!” _ He then picked his nose and turned away from the Doctor, Carter, Sadie and Bast. He threw the ball to his mates. They began to fight over it, showing one another their fangs and slapping their heads.

Sadie raised an eyebrow. “Brilliant. Right.”

“Oi, don’t think you humans are much better.”

“Yes, I agree,” Bast said. “Cats are much cleverer. But baboons are indeed wise. Khufu says that as soon as Carter keeps his promise, he’ll take you to the professor.”

Sadie blinked. “The prof–Oh, you mean…right.”

“What promise?” Carter asked.

The corner of Bast’s mouth twitched. “Apparently, you promised to show him your basketball skills.”

Carter’s eyes widened in alarm. “We don’t have time!”

“Oh, it’s fine,” Bast promised. “It’s best that I go now.”

“But where, Bast?” Sadie asked. “How will we find you?”

The look in the goddess’s eyes flickered into something akin to guilt…As if she’d just caused something horrible. “I’ll find you when you get out, if you get out…”

“Bast, what haven’t you told us?” The Doctor demanded.

But Bast had already turned into Muffin and raced off, shouting to Khufu as she left,  _ “Carter’s ready to play now!” _

_ “Play! Let’s play!”  _ Khufu barked at Carter. He tugged his hand, pulling the boy into the court. The baboons immediately broke into two teams. Half took off their jerseys. Half left them on. Carter was on the no-jersey team, and Khufu helped him pull his shirt off, exposing his bony chest. The teams began to play.

“I used to play professionally, you know.” The Doctor told Sadie as they watched.

Sadie looked genuinely surprised. “Really?”

“Well, it was on the planet Vix-XIV, and we played with twelve balls, nine hoops, eleven racket s, levitation shoes, and the native species has seven legs. But it was essentially the same game.”

Sadie gave an exasperated sigh. “Yeah, I thought it’d be something like that.”

Despite the Doctor’s incessant cheering, Carter didn’t play all that well. In fact, he played quite terribly. The baboons scored basket after basket as Carter staggered back and forth, getting hit with the ball whenever it came close to him, tripping over baboon limbs until he was so dizzy that he turned in a circle and fell over. The baboons stopped playing and watched him in disbelief. Carter lay in the middle of the court, covered in sweat and panting. The other baboons looked at Khufu as if to say,  _ Why did you invite this human? He’s terrible! _

Khufu covered his eyes in shame.

“Carter,” Sadie said with glee, “all that talk about basketball and the Lakers, and you’re absolute rubbish! Beaten by monkeys!” 

“Primates.” The Doctor corrected. 

Carter groaned miserably. “It was…it was Dad’s favorite game.”

Oh. That made sense. That had shut Sadie up.

Carter seemed to take his sister’s frozen expression as further criticism.

“I…I can tell you any NBA stat you want,” He said desperately. “Rebounds, assists, free throw percentages.”

The other baboons returned to their game, ignoring both Carter and Khufu. Khufu let out a disgusted noise.  _ “Shame.” _

Sadie came forwards, offering Carter her hand. “Come on, then. It doesn’t matter.”

“If I had better shoes,” Carter suggested. “Or if I wasn’t so tired –”

“It doesn’t matter,” Sadie insisted. “And I’ll not breathe a word to Dad when we save him.”

Carter smiled and took his sister’s hand.

“Now for god’s sake, put on your shirt.”

“Come on, Khufu.” The Doctor addressed the baboon. “You said you’d take us to the professor.”

Khufu led the three children into a deserted science building. The air in the hallways smelled of vinegar, and the empty classroom labs were old and filthy. They climbed the stairs and found a row of professors’ offices. Most of the doors were closed. One had been left open, revealing a space no bigger than a broom closet stuffed with books, a tiny desk, and one chair. 

_ “Here!”  _ Khufu stopped before a polished mahogany door, significantly nicer than the others. A newly stenciled name glistened on the glass:  _ Dr. Thoth. _

Without knocking, Khufu opened the door and walked inside.

The Doctor made his way through first, Carter and Sadie walking behind him. The office was massive. It was impossible. The ceiling rose at least ten meters, with one side of the office all windows, looking out over the Memphis skyline. Metal stairs led up to a loft dominated by a massive telescope, and from somewhere above came the sound of an electric guitar being strummed quite badly. The other walls of the office were crammed with bookshelves. Worktables overflowed with odd bits and bobs – chemistry sets, half-assembled computers, stuffed animals with electrical wires sticking out of their heads. It was most certainly the Doctor’s kind of place. 

Before them, a half dozen long-necked ibises sat behind desks like receptionists, typing on laptops with their beaks. In the air, the Doctor could smell the strong scent of cooked beef, but with a smokier, tangier scent than what was of the ordinary – at least here on Earth.

_ “Professor!”  _ Khufu called out.

Up in the loft, the strumming stopped. A lanky man who looked to be in his twenties stood up, electric guitar in hand. He had an unruly mane of blond hair and he wore a stained white lab coat over faded jeans and a black T-shirt. For a split second, the Doctor thought blood was trickling from the corner of the man’s mouth, only to realize a moment later that it was some sort of meat sauce.

“Fascinating.” The man broke into a wide grin. “I’ve discovered something. Khufu. This is not Memphis, Egypt.”

Khufu gave the children a sideways glance that clearly meant,  _ Duh. _

“I’ve also discovered a new form of magic called blues music,” The man continued. “And barbecue. Yes, you must try barbecue.”

Khufu looked less than impressed. He  climbed to the top of a bookshelf, grabbed a box of Cheerios, and began to munch.

The man slid down the banister with perfect balance and landed before Saide, Carter, and the Doctor. “Isis and Horus,” He said. “I see you’ve found new bodies.” He glanced at the Doctor. “And a friend?”

“Yep,” The Doctor said. “‘A friend.’ That’s me.”

“Yeah, um, we’re not actually…” Sadie stammered nervously.

“Oh, I see,” the man peered at Sadie with his kaleidoscope eyes. “Trying to share the body, eh? Don’t think I’m fooled for a minute, Isis. I know you’re in charge.”

“But she’s not!” Sadie protested. “My name is Sadie Kane. I assume you’re Thoth?”

The man raised an eyebrow. “You claim not to know me? Of course I’m Thoth. Also called Djehuti. Also called –”

Sadie stifled a laugh. “Ja-hooty?”

“It’s actually quite a common name in Ancient Egyptian.” The Doctor said. “The Greeks refer to him as Thoth, then later sort of confused him with Hermes for a bit. But they seem to have sorted it out now.”

“They even had the nerve to rename my sacred city Hermopolis!” Thoth cried. “Though we’re nothing alike. Believe me, if you’ve ever met Hermes –”

“You actually sort of remind me of Apollo a bit.” The Doctor admitted – that was a reminder. He needed to check in with Olympus one of these days to take care of that. But he was busy. He’d do it later.

If anything, Thoth looked more offended than before, incredulously crying out, “Apollo!?”

_ “You’ve lost the point!”  _ Khufu yelled down through a mouthful of Cheerios.

“You’re right,” Thoth agreed. “I’m getting off track. So you claim to be Sadie Kane. And…” He swung a finger towards Carter, who was watching the ibises type on their laptops. “I suppose you’re not Horus.”

“Carter Kane,” Carter said, still distracted by the ibises’ screens. “What is that?”

Thoth brightened. “Yes, they’re called computers. Marvelous, aren’t they? Apparently –”

“No, I mean what are the birds typing?” Carter squinted and read from the screen. “‘A Short Treatise on the Evolution of Yaks’?”

“My scholarly essays,” Thoth explained. “I try to keep several projects going at once. For instance, did you know this university does not offer majors in astrology or leechcraft? Shocking! I intend to change that. I’m renovating new headquarters right now down by the river. Soon Memphis will be a true center of learning!”

“Brilliant.” The Doctor said.

Thoth tilted his head towards the Doctor. “And who are you, then? I don’t see anyone I know possessing your body. Wait, you knew Apollo and Hermes. Are you Greek?”

“Just well-traveled.” The Doctor shrugged.

“So who are you, then?”

“I’m the Doctor.”

“A scholar as well?” Thoth sounded ecstatic. “Tell me, what do your degrees entail? A doctorate in medicine? Physics?”

“A little bit of everything to be honest. I’ve lost track.”

“Wait, so you actually have a doctorate in medicine?” Sadie asked.

“Sort of.”

The girl raised an eyebrow. “Sort of?”

The Time Lord scowled. “You should meet Piper. So many questions. Not that I don’t like answering questions, I love answering questions, but they’re always so personal. I mean –”

Carter cleared his throat. “Um, Lord Thoth, sir. We actually need help defeating Set.”

The ibises stopped typing to stare at the boy.

Thoth wiped the barbecue sauce from his mouth. “You have the nerve to ask this after last time?”  
“Last time?” Sadie asked.

“Set had killed Osiris so he could take over Egypt.” The Doctor remembered. “But Isis’s great love managed to resurrect Osirus. She gave Osiris breath by flapping her wings above him whilst she transformed into a bird. This angered Set, so he killed Osiris again, cutting his body into pieces and throwing them into the Nile. Isis, with the help of Anubis, managed to reconstruct Osiris’s body with bandages and embalming rites – this is actually where the first mummy comes from. During this act, Thoth recited an incantation and Horus was able to avenge his father’s death in a duel with Set. Horus lost his eye, but gave it as a food offering to his father.”

Sadie made a face. “Ew.”

The Doctor nodded in agreement. “Thoth then replaced his eye with a new one made of moonlight – The Eye of Horus.”

“That duel nearly destroyed the world.” Thoth said, his eyes swiveling to Carter. “Had I not been there, both Isis and Horus would have died. And then when you cut off Isis’s head –”

“Hold up,” Carter glanced at his sister. “I cut off her head?”

“She seems to have gotten better.” Sadie observed.

“Only because I healed you, Isis!” Thoth said. “And yes, Carter, Horus, whatever you call yourself, you were so mad, you cut off her head. You were reckless, you see – about to charge Set while you were still weak, and Isis tried to stop you. That made you so angry you took your sword – Well, the point is, you almost destroyed each other before you could defeat Set. If you start another fight with the Red Lord, beware. He will use his chaos to turn you against each other.”  
There was a beat of silence, where Isis undoubtedly had come back with a retort, since both Sadie and Thoth said, “Shut up.”

Thoth then looked at Sadie in surprise. “So, Sadie…you are trying to stay in control. It won’t last. You may be blood of the pharaohs, but Isis is deceptive, power-hungry –”

“I can contain her.” Sadie said firmly.

Thoth fingered the frets of his guitar. “Don’t be so sure. Isis probably told you she helped defeat Set. Did she also tell you she was the reason Set got out of control in the first place? She exiled our first king.”

“You mean Ra?” Carter as ked. “Didn’t he get old and decide to leave the earth?”

The Doctor shook his head. “Isis was getting tired of waiting for him to retire – she wanted her husband, Osiris, to become king. She wanted more power.”

Thoth nodded, continuing, “One day, while Ra was napping, Isis secretly collected a bit of Ra’s drool.”

“Ew.” Sadie said. “Since when does drool make you powerful?”

Thoth scowled at Sadie accusingly. “You mixed the spit with clay to create a poisonous snake. That night, the serpent slipped into Ra’s bedroom and bit him in the ankle. No amount of magic, even mine, could heal him. He would’ve died –”

“Wait, gods can die?” Carter asked.

“Oh, yes,” Thoth said. “Of course most of the time we rise again from the Duat – eventually. But this poison ate away at Ra’s very being. Isis, of course, acted innocent. She cried to see Ra in pain. She tried to help with her magic. Finally she told Ra there was only one way to save him: Ra must tell her his secret name.”

“Secret name?” Sadie asked. “Like Bruce Wayne?”

The Doctor smirked. “Everything in Egyptian Mythology has a secret name. Even gods. This is what I meant with Leroy – Names can be dangerous. To know one’s name is to have power over them.”

“Wait, if you know Leroy’s real name, why didn’t you use it?” Carter demanded. “You could have stopped him so much sooner!”

The Doctor hesitated. “Carter to have that power…To  _ use  _ that power…To take away someone’s willpower like that…I refuse.”

Carter and Sadie stared at him.

“Isis promised that with Ra’s secret name, she could heal him.” Thoth said. “Ra was in so much pain, he agreed. And Isis healed him.”

“But he gave her power over him,” The Doctor said, “Immense power.”

“Isis forced Ra to retreat into the heavens, opening the way for her beloved, Osiris, to become the new king of the gods.” Thoth went on. “Set had been an important lieutenant to Ra, but he could not bear to see his brother Osiris become king. This made Set and Osiris enemies, and here we are five millenia later, still fighting that war, all because of Isis.”

“But that’s not my fault!” Sadie said. “I would never do something like that.”

“Wouldn’t you?” Thoth asked. “Wouldn’t you do anything to save your family, even if it upset the balance of the cosmos?”

Sadie stared defiantly into Thoth’s kaleidoscope eyes. Suddenly, the defiant look turned into confusion, then fear. She closed her eyes for a moment and took a breath. “No, Thoth,” She said. “You have to believe me. I’m in control – Me, Sadie – and I need your help. Set has our father.”

Sadie explained everything that had happened from the British Museum to Carter’s vision of the red pyramid.

Thoth listened intently and without comment. 

“Just look at something for us,” Sadie finished. “Carter, hand him the book.” Carter rummaged through his bag and brought out the book they’d stolen from Paris.

“You wrote this, right?” Carter said. “It tells how to defeat Set.”

Thoth unfolded the papyrus pages. “Oh, dear. I hate reading my old work. Look at this sentence. I’d never write it this way now.” He patted his lab coat pockets. “Red pen – does anyone have ne?”

“Thoth,” The Doctor said calmly, “Please, we need your help. Set intends to destroy North America, perhaps the world itself –” Again. Why is everyone always trying to destroy Earth? Well, at least it’s not London this time. “– Millions of people will die if we don’t stop him. You know as well as I do the importance of balance. This is  _ not  _ balanced.”

For a long moment, the only sound that could be heard were the clicking of ibis beaks on the keyboards.

“You are in trouble,” Thoth agreed. “So let me ask,” He turned to Carter and Sadie. “Why do you think your father put you in this position? Why did he release the gods?”

There was a pause of hesitation. A beat where neither Carter nor Sadie seemed sure themselves.

“My mum saw the future,” Sadie guessed. “Something bad was coming. I think she and Dad were trying to stop it. They thought the only way was to release the gods.”

“Even though using the power of the gods is incredibly dangerous for mortals,” Thoth pressed, “And against the law of the House of Life – a law that I myself convinced Iskandar to make, by the way.”

“Then the reason must have been important.” The Doctor reasoned.  _ “Very  _ important if their mother was able to convince Iskandar that the rule was wrong.”

“And what is that reason?” Thoth asked. “What is coming? The rise of Set?” His tone was coy – it reminded the Doctor of the teachers way back at the Academy – asking him a question they knew he couldn’t answer correctly.

Maybe,” Sadie said cautiously, “But I don’t know.”

Up on the bookshelf, Khufu belched. He bared his fangs in a messy grin.  _ “She sounds not like Isis.” _

“You have a point, Khufu,” Thoth mused. “She does not sound like Isis. Isis would never admit she doesn’t know something.”

The god then tossed the book back to Carter. “Let’s see if you act as well as you talk. I will explain the spell book, provided you prove to me that you truly have control of your gods, that you’re not simply repeating the same old patterns.”

“A test?” Carter said. “We accept.”

“No, hang on,” Sadie protested, but Thoth ignored her.

“Wonderful,” He said. 

“Wait,” Carter said, “Can the Doctor come.”

Thoth examined the Doctor and shrugged. “Sure. Why not? He bears no consequence to me.”

“Lovely.” The Doctor grumbled.

“There is an item of power I require from a magician’s tomb.” Thoth went on. “Bring it to me.”

“Which magicians tomb?” The Doctor asked.

But Thoth took a piece of chalk from his lab coat and scribbled something into the air. A doorway opened in front of him.

“How did you do that?” Sadie asked. “Bast said we can’t summon portals during the Demon Days.”

“Mortals can’t,” Thoth agreed. “But a god of magic can. If you succeed, we’ll have barbecue.”

The doorway pulled the three children into a black void, and Thoth’s office disappeared.


	21. The Tomb of the Great Magician, Elvis

“Where are we?” Sadie wondered aloud.

The Doctor, Carter, and Sadie stood on a deserted avenue outside the gates of a large estate.

“Still in Memphis, I should think.” The Doctor deeply breathed in the air. “Smells my Memphis at the very least.”

“Yeah, also the trees look the same,” Carter said. “And the weather. And the afternoon light’s the same too.”

The estate was massive – several acres at the very least. The white metal gates were done in a fancy design of silhouetted guitarists and musical notes. Beyond them, the driveway curved through the trees up a two-story house with a white columned portico with brick walls, and plaster lions flanking the steps.

“Wait a minute,” Carter murmured as he took it all in. “I recognize those gates.”

Sadie looked at her brother. “You do?”

“Dad brought me here once,” Carter said, “A great magician’s tomb…Thoth has got to be kidding.”

“Oh.” The Doctor realized. “Oh, this is  _ brilliant!” _

“Wait, what are you two on about?” Sadie demanded.

“This is Graceland.” Carter explained. “Home to the most famous musician in the world.”

“Michael Jackson lived here?” Sadie asked.

“No, dummy,” Carter said. “Elvis Presly.”

“Had more number ones than the Beatles, he did.” The Doctor murmured quietly.

“Why do you sound so sad about it?” Sadie frowned. “Wait, you weren’t in the Beatles, were you?”

“No, no, nothing like that.” The Doctor assured her, forcing a fake smile on his face. “Old El was a magician, then? That explains a lot.”

“You were friends with him?” Carter asked.

“Yeah, even taught him how to play the guitar. Never quite got the G-note right…”

“This is where Elvis lived and died,” Carter said. “He’s buried in the back of the mansion.” He hesitated. “But something’s not right. Why are we the only ones here? There’s usually a mob of tourists.”

“Sadie shrugged. “Christmas holidays?”

“But no security.” Carter pointed out.

“Maybe it’s like what Zia did at Luxor. Maybe Thoth cleared everyone out.”

“Maybe…” Carter murmured.

“What do you think, Doctor?” Sadie asked.

“Hmm? Yeah. Probably. Come on, then.” The Doctor said, and began to walk up the drive. From the corner of his eye, Carter and Sadie exchanged a look, shrugged, and followed behind.

They walked in semi-silence, the Doctor in front, and Sadie and Carter walking side-by-side. Finally, Sadie asked, “So Dad brought you here?”

“Yeah.” Carter murmured. “Dad loves blues and jazz, mostly, but he said Elvis was important because he took African American music and made it popular for white people. He helped invent rock and roll. Anyway, Dad and I were in town for a symposium or something. I don’t remember. Dad insisted I come here.”

“Lucky you.”

They walked up the steps. The front door swung open all on its own.

“I don’t like that.” Carter said.

The Doctor glanced behind them and froze. He grabbed Carter and Sadie’s arms, pulling them into the house.

Walking up the driveway were two magicians brandishing staffs and wands.

“Inside, Now.”

The Doctor did a quick analysis of the house: There was a dining room to the left, a sitting/music room to the right with a piano and stained glass archway decorated with peacocks. All the furniture was roped off.

“Item of power,” Sadie said. “Where?”

“Don’t know.” The Doctor said, running a hand through his hair.

“They’re getting close.” Carter warned.

The Doctor glanced out the window. The magicians were, indeed, approaching. The one in front wore jeans, a black sleeveless shirt, boots, and a battered cowboy hat. His mate was similarly dressed but much heftier, with tattooed arms, a bald head, and a scraggly beard.

When they were only ten meters away, the man with the cowboy hat lowered his staff, which morphed into a shotgun.

The Time Lord grabbed Carter and Sadie, shoving them into the sitting room.

The blast shattered Elvis’s front doors. The Doctor was on his feet in an instant, pulling the two siblings to theirs as well and dragging them deeper into the house.

“This is why I don’t like America.” The Doctor grumbled as they passed through the kitchen. “So many guns.”

They passed through the den – the back wall was made of vine-covered bricks, with a waterfall trickling down the side. The carpet was green shag on both the floor and ceiling, and the furniture was carved with all sorts of animal shapes. Not to mention, plaster monkeys and stuffed lions had been strategically placed around the room.

“Did Elvis have no taste?” Sadie balked at the room.

“The Jungle Room.” Carter said.

“He decorated it like this to annoy his father.” The Doctor explained. 

Sadie nodded approvingly. “I can respect that.”

Another shotgun blast roared through the house.

“Right, you two go to the trophy room,” The Doctor commanded. “I’ll distract them.”

“What, Doctor!” Sadie cried, but the Doctor set off running.

The Doctor turned the corner and was suddenly shoved to the ground from behind.

He spun and rolled over, slipping behind a wall, only to see Carter on his knees. For a moment, it looked like he’d been shot. But immediately, Carter collapsed and began to shrink – clothes, sword, and all – melting into a tiny sliver of green.

The tiny lizard that used tobe Carter raced towards the Doctor, climbing into his palm.

“Bloody hell,” The Doctor hissed quietly. “I told you to go to the trophy room.”

From around the corner, a gruff voice said, “Split up and find the sister and the other one. They’ll be somewhere close.”

The Doctor scrambled to his feet, slipping Carter into his breast pocket, and ran at Sadie, who was still standing, staring in shock.

As the Doctor grabbed her arm, she seemed to jump back into reality, sprinting down the hallway.

They could hear the two magicians smash and crash their way through Graceland, knocking over furniture and blasting things to bits.

The Doctor and Sadie managed to find the trophy room. Unsurprisingly, it was full of trophies. Gold records crowded the walls. Rhinestone Elvis jumpsuits glittered in four glass cases.

The room was dimly lit and music was playing softly from overhead speakers. Nothing looked particularly magical.

“I really hope Thoth doesn’t expect us to wear one of those suits.” Sadie whispered.

“Jerrod!” A voice called to their right. A magician was coming down the hallway. The Doctor and Sadie darted towards the other exit, but a voice just outside it called back,

“Yeah, I’m over here.”

They were surrounded.

Sadie fumbled through her magician’s bag and grasped her wand. Her hands were trembling.

“Sadie –” The Doctor began, but Sadie seemed to have other ideas.

“Darkness,” She whispered. The lights flickered off. The music stopped. The light continued to dim – even the sunlight faded from the windows until the entire room went black.

Somewhere to the left, the first magician sighed in exasperation. “Jerrod!”

“Wasn’t me, Wayne!” Jerrod insisted. “You always blame me!”

Wayne muttered a few choice words in Egyptian and continued moving towards the Doctor and Sadie.

Without warning, the display cases blew open. There was the sound of the shuffling of stiff cloth and four pale white shapes flew towards the doors.

Wayne yelled as the empty Elvis suits tackled him. His shotgun lit up the dark. To their left, Jerrod shouted in surprise. A heavy clump indicated that he’d been knocked over. It was now Sadie’s turn to lead the way. She grabbed the Doctor’s hand and led him in Jerrod’s direction.

They slipped through the doorway and down a hall, leaving Jerrod scuffling behind them yelling, “Get off! Get off!”

Afternoon light burst through the door as Sadie kicked it open. They were in the backyard of Graceland. A large fountain gurgled nearby, ringed by grave markers. One had a glass-encased flame at the top and was heaped with flowers. Elvis’s grave. A magician’s tomb.

Before Sadie or the Doctor could approach the grave, the door burst open. The large bald man with the scraggly beard stumbled out. A tattered Elvis suit had its sleeves wrapped around his neck.

“Well, well.” The magician threw off the jumpsuit. His voice confirmed that this was Jerrod. “You’re just children. You’ve caused us a lot of trouble.”

He lowered his staff and fired a shot of green light. Sadie raised her wand and deflected the bolt of energy directly into the air. The Doctor heard a surprised coo – the cry of a pigeon – and a newly made lizard fell from the sky at their feet.

“Sorry.” Sadie told it.

Jerrod snarled and threw down his staff. As it seemed, he specialized in lizards, as his staff morphed into a komodo dragon the size of a taxicab.

The creature charged at the Doctor and Sadie with unnatural speed. It opened its jaws to bite when the Doctor lunged forth, gripping each part of the komodo dragon’s jaw with each hand to keep it open.

“Nice try,  _ boy!” _ Jerrod laughed.

The Doctor could feel the powerful jaws fighting against his grip. It was only a matter of time before it would break through his grip.

The Doctor was taken to his knees as he desperately fought not to be overtaken.

A blast of light exploded over his right shoulder, and suddenly the komodo dragon had exploded into splinters, littering the ground.

Sadie was standing behind him, an aura of power emanating off of her. 

Herrod only had a moment to look stunned before Sadie threw her wand and knocked him solidly on the forehead. His eyes crossed and he collapsed onto the pavement. Sadie’s wand returned to her hand.

It was then that Wayne, the cowboy-hatted magician, stumbled out the door, nearly tripping over his friend, but recovering with lightning speed.

He shouted, “Wind!” And Sadie’s staff flew from her hands and into his own.

Wayne smiled cruelly. “Well fought, darlin’. But elemental magic is always quickest.” He struck the ends of both staffs against the pavement. A wave rippled over the dirt and pavement, knocking both the Doctor and Sadie off their feet. Sadie’s wand went flying. Wayne began chanting, summoning fire from both staffs.

The Doctor struggled back to his feet. It was difficult, but he had practice being knocked around in the TARDIS. He could do this.

“Oi!” He shouted as he ran at the man.

The moment of shock was all he needed, as behind him, Sadie threw the small bit of twine that had been in her magic bag at Wayne and shouted, “Tas!”

A golden hieroglyph burned in the air over Wayne’s head. The twine whipped towards him like an angry snake, growing larger and thicker as it flew. It lashed around his ankles and toppled Wayne sideways, wrapping around his entire body until he was encased in a twine cocoon from chin to toe. He struggled and screamed, but was unable to escape.

The Doctor made his way over to Sadie, helping her to her feet and retrieving her staff. She got up unsteadily, eyeing Wayne cautiously. He was now cursing in Egyptian, screaming, “Fire! Water! Cheese!”

Alas, even the cheese command did not work.

“Silence.” Sadie ordered.

Wayne’s voice abruptly stopped working. He continued to scream, but no sound came out.

“We are not your enemies,” Sadie told him. “But I can’t have you killing us either.”

Something wriggled in his pocket and the Time Lord suddenly remembered Carter. He removed the small lizard from his pocket and placed him on the ground.

The Doctor looked over to Sadie. “Think you can change him back?”

“I’ll try,” Sadie said. “Hopefully I don’t make things work.”

That did not seem to fill Carter with much confidence.

Sadie closed her eyes and concentrated. Suddenly, the lizard began to grow into a vaguely humanoid blob. In seconds, Carter was lying on his stomach, his sword and pack next to him on the lawn.

He spit grass out of his mouth. “How’d you do that?”

“I don’t know,” Sadie admitted. “You just seemed…wrong.”

“Thanks a lot.” He got up and checked to make sure all his appendages were intact. It was then that he saw the two magicians and his mouth fell open. “What did you do to them?”

“Just tied one up. Knocked one out. Magic.”

“No, I mean…” Carter faltered, searching for words. He then gave up and simply pointed.

The Doctor looked at the magicians in shock. Wayne was no longer moving. His eyes and mouth were open, but he wasn’t blinking or breathing. Beside him, Jerrod looked just as frozen. As the children watched, their mouths began to glow. Two tiny yellow orbs of fire slipped out from betwixt their lips and shot into the air, disappearing into the sunlight.

The Doctor knelt by Wayne and placed a hand on his neck.

“Are they dead?” Sadie asked, bewildered.

As his hand touched Wayne’s flesh, he felt something cool…It felt like stone.

“No, no. Not dead.” The Doctor promised her. “I don’t think they were ever alive in the first place.”

He made his way towards Jerrod and examined the man’s forehead. “See this, here? It’s cracked.”

“What?” Sadie and Carter approached. Carter placed a hand on the man’s forehead, and immediately withdrew.

“It feels like rock.”

“No, they were human!” Sadie cried. “I didn’t turn them to rock.”

“No, I don’t think they were.” The Doctor pulled out the Sonic Screwdriver and ran it over the man’s skin. He lifted it up to examine the results. “Just as I thought.” He looked over at Sadie. “They’re not human. They’re Shabti.”

“What?”

“Watch.” The Doctor grabbed a stone from the ground and smashed it into Jerrod’s face.

The magician’s head cracked into shards like a flower pot. “See, just clay.”

“But they were casting spells,” Sadie said. “And talking. They were real.”

As they watched, the shabti crumbled to dust, leaving nothing behind but Sadie’s twine, two staffs, and some grungy clothing.

“It was a test,” Carter said. “Thoth was testing us.” He hesitated. “Those balls of fire, though…” He frowned as if trying to recall something important.

“Probably the magic that animated them,” Sadie guessed. “Flying back to their master – like a recording of what they did?”

“Possibly.” The Doctor said. He had an uneasy feeling about it.

Carter then pointed to the blasted back door of Graceland. “Is the whole house like that?”

“Worse.” The Doctor admitted.

“What was it Amos said, when he repaired that saucer?” Sadie asked.

Carter frowned. “This is a whole house, Sadie. Not a saucer.”

“Got it,” Sadie said. “Hi-nehm!”

A golden hieroglyphic symbol flickered to life in the girl’s palm. She held it up and blew it towards the house. The entire outline of Graceland began to glow. The pieces of the door flew back into place and mended themselves. The tattered bits of Elvis clothing disappeared.

“Wow,” Carter said. “Do you think the inside is fixed too?”

“I –” Sadie’s stance wavered. The Doctor lunged forwards as her knees buckled and caught her right before her head hit the pavement.

“You were brilliant, Sadie.” The Doctor said, “But that was a lot of magic.”

“But we haven’t even found the item Thoth sent us for.”

“Yeah,” Carter said. “Maybe we have.”

He pointed to Elvis’s grave and there it was: a memento left behind by some adoring fan – a necklace with a silver loop-topped cross.

“An ankh,” The Doctor said. “The Egyptian symbol for eternal life.”

The Doctor picked it up. There was a small papyrus scroll attached to the chain.

“What’s that?” Carter asked.

The Doctor unrolled the sheet. He examined it silently. It was a painting – an ancient one at that – depicting a golden spotted cat holding a knife in one paw and chopping the head off of a snake.

Beneath it, in black marker, someone had written:  _ Keep up the fight! _

“That’s vandalism, isn’t it?” Sadie asked, peering over the Time Lord’s shoulder. “Marking up an ancient drawing like that? Rather odd thing to leave for Elvis.”

“I’ve seen that picture before.” Carter said. “It’s in a lot of tombs. Don’t know why it never occurred to me…”

“This is the Cat of Ra fighting Ra’s main enemy, Apophis.”

“Apophis is the snake.” Carter whispered to Sadie.

“Yeah, I guessed that much, genius.” Sadie shot back.

“Apophis was the embodiment of chaos…” The Doctor said slowly.

“He was even worse than Set.” Carter said. “The Egyptians thought Doomsday would come when Apophis ate the sun and destroyed all of creation.”

“But…the cat killed it,” Sadie said hopefully.

“The cat had to kill it over and over again…” The Doctor murmured. “Trapped in an eternal war…Locked in conflict and unable to run from it…”

“Yeah,” Carter glanced at the Doctor curiously. “I asked Dad one time if the cat had a name. And he said nobody knows for sure, but most people assume it’s Sekhmet, this fierce lion goddess. She was called the Eye of Ra because she did his dirty work. He saw an enemy; she killed it.”

“She has a name.” The Doctor said.

Carter looked at him, “What is it?”

“Bast.” He said quietly. “This is Bast.”


	22. Thoth’s Unsatisfactory Answers

As the Doctor, Sadie, and Carter emerged from the portal, they found themselves not in Thoth’s office, but before a massive glass pyramid, nearly as large as the ones at Giza. The skyline of downtown Memphis rose up in the distance. At their backs were the banks of the Mississippi River.

The sun was setting, turning the river and the pyramid to gold. On the pyramid’s front steps, beside a six meter tall pharaoh statue labeled Ramesses the Great. Thoth had set out a picnic with barbecued ribs, brisket, bread, pickles. He was playing his guitar with a portable amp. Khufu stood nearby, covering his ears.

“Oh, good.” Thoth strummed a chord so badly the Doctor nearly covered his ears. “You lived.”

“It would appear that way.” The Doctor said.

“Where did this come from?” Carter asked, staring up at the pyramid in amazement. “You didn’t just…build it, did you?”

Thoth chuckled. “I didn’t have to build it. The people of Memphis did that. Humans never really forget Egypt, you know. Every time they build a city on the banks of a river, they remember their heritage, buried deep in their subconscious.”

“This is the Pyramid Arena,” The Doctor explained more plainly. “The sixth largest pyramid in the world.”

“It used to be a sports arena for…What is that game you like, Khufu?” Thoth asked.

_ “Basketball!”  _ Khufu said indignantly.  _ “The Kane boy is  _ terrible  _ at it.” _

“Yes, basketball,” Thoth said. “But the arena fell on hard times. It’s been abandoned for years. Well, no longer. I’m moving in. You do have the ankh?”

The Doctor fished the ankh necklace from his pocket and handed it to the god.

“Excellent,” Thoth said. “An ankh from the tomb of Elvis. Powerful magic!”

Sadie clenched her fists. “We almost died getting that. You tricked us.”

“Not a trick,” the god insisted. “A test.”

“Those things,” Sadie said, “The shabti –”

“Yes, my best work in centuries. A shame to break them, and I couldn’t have you beating up on real magicians, could I? Shabti make excellent stunt doubles.”

“So you saw the whole thing,” Carter muttered.

“Oh, yes.” Thoth held out his hand. Two little fires danced across his palm – the magic essences they’d seen escape from the shabti’s mouths. “These are…recording devices, I suppose you’d say. I got a full report. You defended the shabti without killing. I must admit I’m impressed, Sadie. You were very brave to defend Sadie from the komodo dragon, Doctor. And you, Cater, did well turning into a lizard.”

Carter looked down at his feet in shame.

“You will find worse enemies ahead, Carter,” Thoth warned. “Even now, the House of Life sends its best against you. But you will also find friends where you least expect them.”

Thoth stood and handed Khufu his guitar. He tossed the ankh at the statue of Ramesses, and the necklace fastened itself to the pharaoh’s neck.

“There you are, Ramesses,” Thoth told the statue. “Here’s to our new life.”

The statue glowed faintly, the glow spreading to the entire pyramid, illuminating their surroundings, before slowly fading away.

“Oh, yes,” Thoth mused. “I think I’ll be happy here. Next time you children visit me, I’ll have a much bigger laboratory.”

“That’s not all we found.” Carter said. He gestured for the Doctor to take out the painting. He did so, handing it out for Thoth to see. “You need to explain this.”

“It’s a cat and a snake,” Thoth said.

“Thank you, god of wisdom. You placed it for us to find, didn’t you? You’re trying to give us some kind of clue.”

“Who, me?”

“The cat is Bast,” Carter said. “Does this have something to do with why our parents released the gods?”

Thoth gestured towards the picnic plates. “Did I mention we have barbecue?”

Sadie stomped her foot. “We had a deal, Ja-hooty!”

“You know…I like that name,” Thoth mused. “But not so much when you say it. I believe our deal was that I would explain how to use the spell book. May I?”

He held out his hand, and Carter reluctantly dug the magic book out from his bag and handed it over.

Thoth unfolded the pages. “Ah, this takes me back. So many formulae. In the old days, we believed in ritual. A good spell might take weeks to prepare, with exotic ingredients from all over the world.”

“We haven’t got weeks.” The Doctor informed him.

“Rush, rush, rush.” Thoth sighed.

_ “Humans have no patience.”  _ Khufu agreed.

“Oi, that’s insulting!” The Doctor cried.

“What did he say?” Sadie asked.

“Called me a human.” The Doctor stuck his tongue out in disgust.

Thoth closed the book and handed it back to Carter. “Well, it’s an incantation for destroying Set.”  
“We know that.” The Doctor said. “But it won’t destroy him forever, will it?”

“No, no.” Thoth assured him. “But it will destroy his form in this world, banishing him deep into the Duat and reducing his power so he will not be able to appear again for a long, long time. Centuries, most likely.”

“Brilliant.” The Doctor said.

“So, how do we read it?” Carter asked.

Thoth stared at the boy as if it were obvious. “You cannot read it now because the words can only be spoken in Set’s presence. Once before him, Sadie should open the book and recite the incantation. She’ll know what to do when the time comes.”

“Right,” Sadie said. “And Set will just stand there calmly while I read him to death.”

Thoth shrugged. “I did not say it would be easy. You’ll also require two ingredients for the spell to word – a verbal ingredient, Set’s secret name –”

“What?” Carter protested. “How are we supposed to get that?”

“With difficulty, I imagine. You can’t simply read a secret name from a book. The name must come from the owner’s own lips, in his own pronunciation, to give you power over him.”

“Great,” Carter said. “So we just force Set to tell us.”

“Secret names are very…intimate to know.” The Doctor said. “It’s unlikely we’ll be able to force Set.”

“You’ll likely have to trick him,” Thoth said. “Or convince him.”

“Isn’t there any other way?” Sadie asked.

Thoth brushed an ink splotch off his lab coat. A hieroglyph turned into a moth and fluttered away. “I suppose…yes. You could ask the person closest to Set’s heard – the person who loves him most. They would also have the ability to speak the name.”

“But nobody loves Set!” Sadie said.

The Doctor frowned at her. “And what makes you think that?”

Sadie stared at him as if he were stupid. “He’s evil! He’s –”

“Misguided. Chaotic.” The Doctor corrected. “Those are not synonymous with evil.”

“Why are you so defensive of him?” Sadie demanded.

“I’ve lived a long time, Sadie.” The Doctor said coldly. “Long enough to understand such differences. I wouldn’t expect you to do the same.”

Sadie looked offended. “Oh, am I not good enough for you, oh mighty alien boy! Too young for you? You don’t think I’m smart enough to understand?”

“It has nothing to do with intelligence.” The Doctor snapped.

“Um, do you think Set’s wife might be able to speak his name?” Carter asked nervously.

Thoth nodded. He’d been watching the Doctor and Sadie in fascination. “Nephthys is a river goddess. Perhaps you could find her in a river.”

“This just gets better and better,” Carter muttered.

“And the other ingredient?” The Doctor asked. “You said there were two.”

“A physical ingredient,” Thoth agreed, “a feather of truth.”

“A what?” Sadie asked.

“You mean from the Land of the Dead.” Carter said.

Thoth beamed at the boy. “Exactly.”

“Wait,” Sadie said. “What is he talking about?”

“Once you die in Ancient Egypt, you would take a journey to the Land of the Dead.” The Doctor explained, still eyeing Sadie dangerously. “A perilous journey. Once in the Hall of Judgement, your life was weighed on the Scales of Anubis: your heart on one side, the feather of truth on the other. If you passed the test, you were blessed with eternal happiness. If you failed, a creature – Ammit the Devourer – ate your heart and you ceased to exist.”

Sadie blinked. “So we’re supposed to get a feather from this Hall of Judgement how, exactly?”  
“Perhaps Anubis will be in a good mood,” Thoth suggested. “It happens every thousand years or so.”

“But how do we even get to the Land of the Dead?” Carter asked. “I mean…without dying.”

Thoth glanced at the western horizon, where the sunset was turning crimson. “Down the river at night, I should think. That’s how most people pass into the Land of the Dead. I would take a boat. You’ll find Anubis at the end of the river –” He pointed north, then changed his mind and pointed south. “Forget, rivers flow south here. Everything is backward.”

_ “I will come with them!”  _ Khufu insisted, running his fingers down the frets of the guitar.

“Are you sure, Khufu?” Thoth asked.

_ “Yes.” _ Khufu grunted.

“Very well.” Thoth sighed. “Khufu says he’d like to go with you. I told him he could stay here and type my doctoral thesis on quantum physics, but it seems he’s not interested.”

“Can’t imagine why,” Sadie said. “Glad to have Khufu along, but where do we find a boat.”

“You are the blood of pharaohs,” Thoth said. “Pharaohs always have access to a boat. Just make sure you use it wisely.”

He nodded towards the river. Churning towards the shore was an old paddlewheel steamboat with smoke billowing from its stacks.

“I wish you a good journey,” Thoth said. “Until we meet again.”

“We’re supposed to take that?” Carter asked, but when the Doctor glanced back to see Thoth’s response, the god was gone, taking the barbecue with him.

“Wonderful,” Sadie muttered.

_ “Tell me about it.”  _ Khufu agreed. He led the trio down to the shore of the Mississippi.


	23. The Egyptian Queen

Compared to Charon’s, the boat to the Land of Death was quite lovely. It had multiple decks with ornate railings painted black and green. The side paddlewheels churned the river into froth, and along the paddlewheel housings, the name of the boat glittered in gold letters:  _ Egyptian Queen. _

Beneath the boat’s name, the same letters were written in both Demotic and in Hieroglyphs. Sparkly smoke billowed from the stacks as if the engine was burning gold. Orbs of multicoloured fire fitted around the decks. And on the prow of the ship, two painted eyes moved and blinked, scanning the river for trouble.

“That’s odd.” Sadie remarked.

Carter nodded. “I’ve seen eyes painted on boats before. They still do that all over the Mediterranean. But usually they don’t move.”

“What?” Sadie looked at her brother as if he was stupid. “No, not the stupid eyes. That lady on the highest deck. Isn’t that…”

The Doctor broke into a grin as he spotted what Sadie was looking at.

“Bast!”

The goddess was leaning out the window of the pilot’s house. It was then that the Doctor noticed the creature standing beside her, gripping the wheel. He had a human body and was dressed in a white uniform. But instead of a head, a double-bladed battle-axe sprouted from his collar.

The ship pulled up to the dock. Balls of fire began zipping around – lowering the gangplank, tying off ropes, and doing the rest of the preparations.

Bast climbed down from the wheelhouse. She embraced the group as they boarded – even Khufu, who tried to return the favour by grooming her for lice.

“I’m glad you survived!” Bast said. “What happened?”

The Doctor gave her the basic run-down and her hair poofed out again.

“Elvis? Gah! Thoth is getting cruel in his old age. Well, I can’t say I’m glad to be on this boat again. I hate the water, but I suppose –”

“You’ve been on this boat before.” The Doctor said, though it wasn’t posed much like a question.

Bast’s smile wavered. “A million questions, of course, but let’s eat first. The captain is waiting.”

The Doctor nodded, and the group followed the goddess inside the boat.

The dining parlor was lavishly decorated with colourful murals depicting the gods covering the walls, gilded columns supporting the ceiling, a long dining table laden with all sorts of foods. On a side table stood an ice chest, a line of golden goblets, and a soda dispenser with all sorts of choices. The mahogany chairs were carved to look like baboons. Khufu barked at his chair – asserting his dominance – then sat upon his lap. He picked an avocado from a basket of fruit and began to peel it.

Across the room, a door opened, and the axe-man came in. He was forced to duck to avoid cleaving the doorframe.

“Lord and Lady Kane.” The captain said, bowing. His voice was a quivery hum that resonated along his front blade. “It is an honour to have you aboard.”

“Good to meet you too.” The Doctor grumbled.

“Lady Kane,” Sadie mused. “I like that.”

“I am Bloodstained Blade,” The captain said. “What are your orders?”

Sadie raised an eyebrow at Bast. “He takes orders from us?”

“Within reason,” Bast said. “He is bound to your family. Your father…” She cleared her throat. “Well, he and your mother summoned this boat.”

The axe demon made a disapproving hum. “You haven’t told them, goddess?”

“I’m getting to it,” Bast grumbled.

“Told us what?” Carter asked.

“Just details.” Bast rushed on, though the Doctor wasn’t so sure. “The boat can be summoned once a year, and only in times of great need. You’ll need to give the captain your orders now. He must have clear directions if we’re to proceed, ah, safely.”

Carter seemed to hesitate, looking at Bast doubtfully, before turning to Bloodstained Blade. “We need to visit the Hall of Judgement,” He told him. “Take us to the Land of the Dead.”

Bloodstained Blade hummed thoughtfully. “I will make the arrangements, Lord Kane, but it will take time.”

“Yeah, see, we don’t have all that much of that.” The Doctor said curtly. “Set’s pyramid will be done the day after tomorrow at sunrise.”

“We will, of course, do our best,” said Bloodstained Blade, though he didn’t seem so pleased to speak with the Doctor. “The crew will prepare your staterooms. Will you dine while you wait?”

The Doctor, Sadie, and Carter exchanged a look.

“Yeah.” Carter said. “Um, thanks, BSB.”

The captain bowed again, then left the group for their dinner.

As Carter inhaled his food, the Doctor examined Sadie as she picked at her cheese and cucumber sandwich.

“I’ve been thinking, Doctor,” Sadie said finally, “If everyone has a secret name, do you?”

“What?”

“Like, a real name, do you have one?”

The Doctor scoffed. “Of course I have a real name. It’s the Doctor!”

“Really?” Sadie raised an eyebrow. “You were just born with that?”

The Doctor gave an ambiguous shrug.

Sadie rolled her eyes. “You’re so weird.”

Carter grinned. “You could almost say, ‘Alien in nature.’”

“Carter, I am  _ this  _ close to throwing you off the boat.”

The balls of fire floated attentive around the room as they ate, refilling goblets and clearing away plates.

_ “I’m going to play.”  _ Khufu said, wiping his mouth and grabbing one of the balls of fire. He fashioned it into a glowing basketball and snorted at Carter.  _ “By myself.” _

Carter clearly could tell what the baboon had meant. 

“No problem, man,” Carter said, his face tinged red with embarrassment. “Have fun.”

Khufu snorted, then loped off with the ball under his arm.

At the far end of the table, Bast had pushed her plate away. She’d hardly touched her tuna Friskies.

“Not hungry?” Carter inquired.

“Hmm? Oh…I suppose not.” She turned her goblet listlessly. She was wearing an expression the Doctor was all-too familiar with: Guilt.

“Bast?” Carter said nervously, glancing at Sadie for encouragement. “What did the captain want you to tell us?”

The goddess hesitated. “Oh, that? You shouldn’t listen to demons. Bloodstained Blade is bound by magic to serve, but if he ever got loose, he’d use that axe on all of us, believe me.”

“You’re changing the subject.” The Doctor identified. He’d used that tactic too often to miss it.

Bast traced her finger across the table, drawing hieroglyphs in the condensation ring from her goblet.

“The truth?” She looked reluctantly at the siblings. “I haven’t been on board since the night your mother died. Your parents had docked this boat on the Thames. After the…accident, your father brought me here. This is where we made our deal.”

Oh. That’s what had been troubling her all dinner. It was here at this table, Bast had sat with Sadie and Carter’s father in despair after his wife’s death.

“The monster you were fighting,” The Doctor said after a long pause. “The chaos monster. That was Apophis, wasn’t it?”

All around the parlor, the servant fires dimmed. One dropped a plate and fluttered nervously.

“Don’t say the Serpent’s name,” Bast warned. “Especially as we head into the night. Night is his realm.”  
“It’s true, then.” Sadie shook her head in dismay. “Why didn’t you say anything? Why did you lie to us?”

Bast dropped her gaze. Sitting there in the shadows, the goddess looked weary and frail. Her face was etched with the traces of old battle scars.

“I was the Eye of Ra.” She spoke quietly. “The sun god’s champion, the instrument of his will. Do you have any idea what an honour it was?”

She extended her claws and studied them. “When people see pictures of Ra’s warrior cat, they assume it’s Sekhmet, the lioness. And she was his first champion, it’s true. But she was too violent, too out of control. Eventually Sekhmet was forced to step down, and Ra chose me as his fighter: little Bast.”

“Why do you sound so ashamed?” Sadie asked. “You said it’s an honour.”

“At first I was proud, Sadie.” Bast said. “I fought the Serpent for ages. Cats and snakes are mortal enemies. I did my job well. But then Ra withdrew to the heavens. He bound me to the Serpent with his last spell. He cast us both into that abyss, where I was charged to fight the Serpent and keep it down forever.”

“So you weren’t a minor prisoner.” Carter realized. “You were imprisoned longer than any of the other gods.”

The feline goddess closed her eyes. “I still remember Ra’s words: ‘My loyal cat. This is your greatest duty.’ And I was proud to do it…for centuries. Then millennia. Can you imagine what it was like? Knives against fangs, slashing and thrashing, a never-ending war in the darkness. Our life forces grew weaker, my enemy’s and mine, and I began to realize that was Ra’s plan. The Serpent and I would rip each other to nothingness, and the world would be safe. Only in this way could Ra withdraw in peace of mind, knowing chaos would not overcome Ma’at. I would have done my duty, too. I had no choice. Until your parents –”

“Gave you an escape route,” Carter said. “And you took it.”

Bast looked up miserably. “I am the queen of cats. I have many strengths. But to be honest, Carter…cats are not very brave.”

“And the Serpent,” The Doctor said, “Is he…?”

“He stayed trapped in the abyss.” Bast promised, her eyes not moving from the Kane siblings. “Your father and I were sure of it. The Serpent was already greatly weakened from eons of fighting with me, and when your mother used her own life force to close the abyss, well…she worked a powerful feat of magic. There should’ve been no way for the Serpent to break through that kind of seal. But as the years have gone by…we became less and less sure the prison would hold him. If somehow he managed to escape and regain his strength, I cannot imagine what would happen. And it would be my fault.”

The Doctor wasn’t quite sure what to say. On one hand, he wanted to comfort her, tell her it wasn’t her fault. But it would be, in the end. Even if the reason she was in this position was the manipulation of Ra.

“So why did our parents release you?” Carter asked. “Did they say?”

Bast nodded slowly. “I was losing my fight. Your father told me that your mother had forseen…horrible things if the Serpent overcame me. They had to free me, give me time to heal. They said it was the first step in restoring the gods. I don’t pretend to understand their whole plan. I was relieved to take your father’s offer. I convinced myself I was doing the right thing for the gods. But it does not change the fact that I was a coward. I failed in my duty.”

“It isn’t your fault,” Carter insisted. “It wasn’t fair of Ra to ask of you.”

“Carter’s right,” Sadie said. “That’s too much sacrifice for one person – one cat goddess, whatever.”

“It was my king’s will,” Bast said. “The pharaoh can command his subjects for the good of the kingdom – even to lay down their lives – and they must obey. Horus knows this. He was the pharaoh many times.”

“Then you had a stupid king.” Carter said bluntly.

The boat shuttered.

“Be careful, Carter,” Bast warned. “Ma’at, the order of creation, hinges on loyalty to the rightful king. If you question it, you’ll fall under the influence of chaos.”

Carter glared angrily at the wall. Horus must have said something in the boy’s head, since he murmured. “Then maybe I’m unworthy.”

“Carter?” Sadie asked softly.

“Nothing,” Carter said. “I’m going to bed.”

Sadie and the Doctor exchanged a look.  _ You stay here with Bast.  _ The Doctor communicated.  _ I’ll go after Carter. _

When the Doctor caught up with Carter, he was already in bed. His face was scrunched restlessly. The Doctor placed a few fingers to the boy’s temples and dove into his dream.

The Doctor floated up with Carter’s spirit to the steamboat’s wheelhouse. Carter initially looked confused in seeing the alien man, then realization crossed his features, then a sort of relief. But it wasn’t Bloodstained Blade at the wheel. In his stead, a young man in leather armor was navigating the boat. His eyes were outlined with kohl, and his head was bald apart from a braided ponytail. He had a sword not unlike Carter’s strapped to his belt. Stretched across the wheelhouse, the man’s silhouette was not that of a man, but of a giant falcon.

“The river is treacherous,” He said. “A pilot cannot get distracted. He must always be alert for sandbars and hidden snags. That’s why boats are painted with my eyes, you know – to see the dangers.”

“The Eyes of Horus,” Carter said. “You.”

The falcon god glanced back. His eyes were two different colours – one a blazing yellow, the other a reflective silver. He clearly noticed the Time Lord, though didn’t acknowledge him.

“You wonder if order is better than chaos,” He said. “You become distracted from our real enemy: Set. You should be taught a lesson.”

“No, really, that’s okay.” Carter said nervously, but his ba – alongside the Doctor, were whisked away. They were suddenly on board an airplane. Zia, Desjardins, and two other magicians were scrunched up in a middle row, surrounded by families with screaming children. Zia didn’t seem to mind. She meditated calmly with her eyes closed, whilst Desjardins and the other two men looked incredibly uncomfortable.

Zia’s eyes suddenly snapped open. “The Red Lord.”

The passengers screamed as the plane plummeted a couple hundred meters.

“Ill commence!” Desjardins shouted over the noise. “Quickly!”

As the plane shook, passengers shrieked and grabbed their seats. Desjardins got up and opened the overhead compartment.

“Sir!” A flight attendant yelled. “Sir, sit down!”

Desjardins ignored the attendant, grabbing four magic bags and throwing them to his colleagues.

A horrible shudder then passed through the cabin and the plane lurched sideways. Outside the ride-side windows, the plane’s wing was sheared off by the eight hundred kilometer winds.

The cabin devolved into chaos. Drinks, books, and shoes flew everywhere as the oxygen masks dropped and people screamed for their lives. The four magicians raised their wands as the airplane broke to pieces.

For a moment, the magicians floated in a maelstrom of storm clouds, chunks of fuselage, luggage, and spinning passengers still strapped to their seats.

Then a white glow expanded around them, a bubble of power that slowed the breakup of the plane and kept the pieces swirling in a tight orbit. Desjardins reached out his hand and the edge of a cloud stretched towards him – a tendril of cottony white mist. The other magicians did likewise, and the storm bent to their will. White vapour wrapped around them and began to send out more tendrils, which snatched pieces of the plane and pulled them back together.

A child fell past Zia, but she pointed her staff and murmured a spell. A cloud enveloped the little girl and brought her back. Soon the four magicians were reassembling the plane around them, sealing the breaches with cloudy cobwebs until the entire cabin was encased in a glowing cocoon of vapour. Outside, the storm raged on and thunder crashed around them, but the passengers slept soundly in their seats.

“Zia!” Desjardins shouted. “We can’t hold this for long.”

Zia ran past him up the aisle to the flight deck. Somehow, the front of the plane had survived the breakup intact. The door was armoured and locked, but Zia’s staff flared, and the door melted like wax.

She stepped through and found three unconscious pilots. The view through the window, the Doctor could see the ground coming up fast – very fast.

Zia slammed her wand against the controls. Red energy surged through the displays. Dials spun, meters blinked, and the altimeter leveled out. The plane’s nose came up, its speed dropping. Zia smoothly glided the plane towards a nearby cow pasture and landed it without so much as a bump. Then her eyes rolled back in her head and she collapsed.

Desjardins found her and gathered the girl up in his arms. “Quickly,” He told his colleagues, “The mortals will wake soon.”

They dragged Zia out of the cockpit, and the Doctor and Carter were swept away through a blur of images. The Doctor could see Phoenix again, a massive red sandstorm churning across the valley, swallowing buildings and mountains. In the hars, hot wind, Set’s laugh resonated throughout.

He saw Brooklyn: Amos’s ruined home on the East River and a winter storm raging overhead, howling winds slamming the city with sleet and hail.

He then saw a river winding through a desert canyon. The sky was a blanket of inky black clouds, and the river’s surface seemed to be boiling. Something was moving beneath the water – something massive, evil, and powerful. It felt like it was waiting. What it was waiting for, the Doctor didn’t know.

The river became a marsh of tall reeds. The sun blazed overhead. Snakes and crocodiles slid through the water. At the water’s edge sat a thatched hut. Outside it, a woman and a child of around ten stood examining a battered sarcophagus. The coffin had very obviously once been a beautiful work of art – gold encrusted with gemstones – but now it was dented and black with grime.

The woman ran her hands over the coffin’s lid.

“Finally.” The Doctor finally got a good look at her face and found herself looking at the goddess Isis. She turned to the boy beside her. “We have searched so long, my son. Finally we have retrieved him. I will use my magic and give him life again!”

“Papa?” The boy gazed wide-eyed at the box. “He’s really inside?”

“Yes, Horus. And now –”

Suddenly, their hut erupted in flames, and Set stepped out from the inferno – mighty with glowing red skin and smoldering black eyes. He wore the double crown of Egypt and the robes of a pharaoh. In his hands, an iron staff smouldered.

“Found the coffin, did you?” He said. “Good for you!”

Isis reached towards the sky. She summoned lightning against the god of chaos, but Set’s rod absorbed the attack and reflected it back at her. Arcs of electricity blasted the goddess and sent her sprawling.

“Mother!” The boy drew a knife and charged Set. “I’ll kill you!” Set bellowed with laughter. He easily sidestepped the boy and kicked him into the dirt.

“You have spirit, nephew,” Set admitted. “But you won’t live long enough to challenge me. As for your father, I’ll just have to dispose of him more permanently.” Set slammed his iron staff against the coffin’s lid.

Isis screamed as the coffin shattered like ice.

“Make a wish.” Set blew with all his might, and the shards of coffin flew into the sky, scattering in all directions. “Poor Osiris – he’s gone to pieces, scattered all over Egypt now. And as for you, sister Isis – run! That’s what you do best!”

Set lunged forth. Isis grabbed her son’s hand and they both turned into birds, flying for their lives. The scene faded, and the Doctor was standing beside Carter back in the steamboat’s wheelhouse. The sun rose in fast-forwards as towns and barges sped past and the banks of the Mississippi blurred into a play of light and shadow.

“He destroyed my father,” Horus said. “He will do the same to yours.”

“No,” Carter said boldly.

Horus stared at the boy. “My mother and Aunt Nephthys spent years searching for the pieces of the coffin and Father’s body. When they collected all fourteen, my cousin Anubis helped bind my father back together with mummy wrappings, but still Mother’s magic could not bring him back to life fully. Osiris became an undead god, a half-living shadow of my father, fit to rule only in the Duat. But his loss gave me anger. Anger gave me the strength to defeat Set and take the throne for myself. You must do the same.”

“I don’t want the throne,” Carter said. “I want my dad.”

“Don’t deceive yourself. Set is merely toying with you. He will bring you to despair, and your sorrow will make you weak.”

“Anger gives you recklessness and irrationality.” The Doctor said. “One mustn’t let it control them.”

Horus sneered at the Doctor. “Your hypocrisy amuses me.” He looked back to Carter. “The Doctor will only lead you astray. He’s spent his lives fleeing in cowardice and wreaking havoc in anger.”

“Rather a coward than a killer.”

Horus laughed. “But don’t you see, you are both?”

Carter looked over to the Doctor. “What does he mean?”

“Oh, you haven’t told him?” Horus taunted. “Haven’t told him how death follows everywhere you go? How many died in your war only weeks ago?”

The Doctor froze. “That – that wasn’t my fault. I –”

“Could have stopped it, couldn’t you?”

“Of course not!” The Time Lord cried.

“Aren’t you supposed to be old and wise? Yet you were unable to foresee the events that took place before your very eyes?”

The Doctor found himself unable to respond.

Horus turned back to Carter in triumph. “See, the Doctor and Set are not as different as you seem to think.”

“I –” Carter looked desperately from the Doctor to Horus. “I just want to save my dad.”

“That is not your mission,” Horus chided. “The world is at stake." He looked around, satisfied. Then back at Carter. "Don’t forget what I have told you. No, wake!”

Sadie was shaking the Doctor. He jumped to his feet, nearly colliding with her.

“What is it?” Carter asked, his eyes nervously jumping towards the Doctor, then hurriedly averting when he realized the Time Lord was looking.

“We’re here…” Sadie said slowly as she noticed Carter’s body language. She looked to the Doctor for some sort of clarification, but the Doctor averted his eyes and made his way to the door, turning back once he had reached it, leaning against the doorframe.

Sadie had changed into a fresh linen outfit, black this time, which matched her combat boots. She’d even managed to re-dye her hair so the streaks were blue.

“How long were we out?” The Doctor asked distractedly.

“We’ve sailed down most of the Mississippi and into the Duat,” Bast said. “Now we approach the First Cataract.”

“The First Cataract?” Carter asked.

“The entrance,” Bast said grimly. “To the Land of the Dead.”


	24. The Executioner of Osiris

The Doctor found himself trailing behind Carter and Sadie as they followed Bast up to the wheelhouse. The tension between Carter and the Time Lord could be cut with a knife. Sadie seemed somewhat confused, and just a touch concerned, but no one would explain to her what had happened.

“The baboon is driving,” Sadie noted as they walked in. Bloodstained Blade was studying a map, whilst Khufu stood at the wheel. “Should I be worried?”

“Quiet, please, Lady Kane.” Bloodstained Blade ran his fingers over a long stretch of papyrus map. “This is delicate work. Two degrees to starboard, Khufu.”

Khufu grunted in affirmation. 

The sky was already dark, but as they chugged along, the stars gradually disappeared. Chills ran down the Doctor’s spine as he was reminded of the end of the universe. Where he’d found…him. The river was slowly turning the colour of blood and Darkness swallowed the horizon. Along the riverbanks, the lights of towns changed to flickering fires, then winked out completely.

The only illumination they had were the multicoloured servant fires and glittering smoke that bloomed from the smokestacks, watching the occupants in a metallic glow.

“Should be just ahead,” The captain announced. In the dim light, his red-flecked axe blade looked threatening as ever.

“What’s that map?” Sadie asked.

“Spells of Coming Forth by Day,” He said. “Don’t worry. It’s a good copy.”

Sadie looked at the Doctor and Carter for translation.

“The Book of the Dead,” The Doctor explained emotionlessly. “The wealthy would be buried with a copy so they could have directions through the Duat to the Land of the Dead – Like an instruction book.”

“Uh, what’s that?” Carter asked, pointing.

Ahead of them, crags of rock jutted from the river, turning the water into a boiling mass of rapids.

“The First Cataract,” Bloodstained Blade announced. “Hold on.”

Khufu pushed the wheel to the left, and the steamboat skidded sideways, shooting between two rocky spires with only centimeters to spare, causing Sadie and Carter to shriek.

They dropped over a stretch of red water and swerved to avoid a rock the size of a petrol station. The steamboat made two more near-misses between boulders, did a three-sixty degree spin around a swirling vortex, launched over a ten-meter waterfall, and came crashing down.

They continued downstream as if nothing had happened, the roar of the rapids fading behind.

“I don’t like cataracts,” Sadie decided. “Are there more?”

“Not as large, thankfully,” said Bast, who was looking a touch seasick. “We’ve crossed over into –”

“The Land of the Dead,” Carter finished.

He pointed to the shore, which was shrouded in mist. In the distance, the Doctor could see the flickering of ghost lights, massive faces made of fog, hulking shadows that seemed unconnected to anything physical, and along the riverbanks, old bones dragged themselves through the mid, linking with other bones in seemingly random patterns.

“I’m guessing this isn’t Mississippi,” Sadie said.

“The River of Night, isn’t it?” The Doctor said. “The river that flows through the Duat.”

Bloodstained Blade hummed in affirmation. “It is every river and no river – the shadow of the Mississippi, the Nile, the Thames.”

The scenes continued to grow stranger. The Doctor watched as ghost villages passed – little clusters of reed huts made of flickering smoke. He saw vast temples crumbling and reconstructing themselves over and over again. And everywhere, ghosts turned their faces towards the boat as it passed. Smoky hands reached out. Shades silently called out to the boat, then turned away in despair as they passed.

“The lost and confused,” Bast said. “Spirits who never found their way to the Hall of Judgement.”

“At least the Underworld is more straight-forwards.” The Doctor grumbled. He of all people could empathize with lost souls.

“Why are they so sad?” Sadie asked.

“Well, they’re dead,” Carter speculated.

“No, it’s more than that,” The Doctor murmured. “They’re expecting someone…Hopelessly waiting…”

“Ra,” Bast said. “For eons, Ra’s glorious sun boat would travel this route each night, fighting off the forces of Apophis.” She looked around nervously, as if remembering past ambushes. “It was dangerous: every night, a fight for existence. But as he passed, Ra would bring sunlight and warmth to the Duat, and these lost spirits would rejoice, remembering the world of the living.”

“But that’s a legend,” Carter said. “The earth revolves around the sun. The sun never actually descends under the earth.”

“Mythological explanations and scientific explanations can both be true,” The Doctor explained, though didn’t quite meet the boy’s eyes. “Ra is the embodiment of the sun – he is the warmth and the light that it brings to the earth. The sun is – was – his throne. His source of power. He is a spirit of the sun, but the sun is not simply his spirit.”

“But now that Ra has retreated into the heavens,” Bast said. “He sleeps, and the sun is just the sun. Ra’s boat no longer travels on its cycle through the Duat. He no longer lights the dark, and the dead feel his absence most keenly.”

“Indeed,” Bloodstained Blade said, though he didn’t sound all that upset about it. “Legend says the world will end when Ra gets too tired to continue living in his weakened state. Apophis will swallow the sun. Darkness will reign. Chaos will overcome Ma’at, and the Serpent will reign forever.” 

“Ra should wake up and smell the sahlab,” Sadie said. “He should come back.”

Bast laughed humorlessly. “And the world should be young again, Sadie. I wish it could be so…”

_ “It’s coming up. They should be at the prow.”  _ Khufu grunted. He gave the wheel back to the captain and ran out of the wheelhouse and down the stairs.

“The baboon is right,” Bloodstained Blade said. “You should go to the prow. A challenge will be coming soon.”

“A challenge?” The Doctor asked.

“What sort of challenge?” Sadie asked.

“It’s hard to tell,” Bloodstained Blade said, but there was a detection of a smug satisfaction in his voice. “I wish you luck, Lady Kane.”

“Why me?” Sadie grumbled.

The Doctor, Carter, Sadie, and Bast stood at the prow of the boat, watching the river appear from the darkness.

Below them, the boat’s painted eyes glowed faintly in the dark, sweeping beams of light across the red water. Khufu had climbed atop the gangplank, which stood straight up when retracted, and cupped his hand over his eyes.

Yet all that vigilance didn’t do all that much good. With the dark and the mist, visibility was effectively nothing.

Massive rocks, broken pillars, and crumbling statues of pharaohs loomed out from nowhere. Bloodstained Blade yanked the wheel to avoid them, forcing the four of them to grab ahold of the rails. Every so often they’d see long slimy lines cutting through the surface of the water, like tentacles, or the backs of submerged creatures.

“Mortal souls are always challenged,” Bast informed them. “You must prove your worth to enter the Land of the Dead.”

“Like it’s such a big treat?” Sadie said.

“It’s better than the alternative.” The Doctor murmured.

Carter narrowed his eyes, pointing to a reddish smudge in the distance where the sky was subtly becoming lighter. “Is that my imagination, or –”

“Our destination,” Bast said. “Strange, we really should’ve been challenged by now –”

The boat shuddered and the water began to boil. A massive figure erupted from the river. He towered several meters over the boat. His body was humanoid – bare-chested and hairy with purplish skin. A rope belt was tied around his waist, festooned with leather pouches, severed demon hands, and other charming bits and bobs. His head was an odd combination of lion and human, with golden eyes and a black mane done in dreadlocks. His blood-splattered mouth was feline, with bristly whiskers and razor-sharp fangs. He roared, scaring Khufu right off the gangplanks. The baboon did a flying leap into Carter’s arms, knocking both of them to the deck.

The Doctor raised his eyebrows at Bast. “Come on. That was almost as bad as ‘what could possibly go wrong?’”

“This a relative of yours?” Sadie asked hopefully.

Bast shook her head. “I cannot help you with this. You are the mortals. You must deal with the challenge.”

“What about the Doctor?” Sadie asked hopefully.

Bast shrugged. “He’s…strange.”

“Thanks.”

Sadie frowned at the Doctor. “I mean, you’re mortal, right?”

The Doctor shrugged. “Depends your definition of mortal.”

“You can…Die…?”

“Then yes,” The Doctor said confidently, “mortal as can be.”

“How do _you_ define it?” Sadie said, sounding somewhat concerned.

“I am Shezmu!” The lion man said. He didn’t seem to like being overlooked.

“Shezmu?” The Doctor murmured. “Sounds familiar. Aren’t you Osiris’s executioner?”

_ “Royal  _ executioner!” Shezmu said with pride. He turned his golden eyes on Carter and tilted his head, nostrils quivering. “I smell the blood of pharaohs. A tasty treat…or do you dare name me?”

“N-name you?” Carter sputtered. “Do you mean your secret name?”

The demon laughed. He grabbed a nearby spire of rock, which crumpled in his fist.

Sadie looked desperately towards the Doctor. “You don’t happen to know his secret name, do you?”

The Doctor hesitated. “I…I’m not sure…”

“Not sure you know it, or not sure you want to use it?” Sadie demanded.

“So you work for Osiris, do you?” The Doctor evaded.

“Yes! At least…” The demon hesitated, snarling in doubt. “I did. Osiris’s throne is empty. But he will return. He will!”

“Of course, he will.” The Doctor assured him. “In fact, that’s what we’ve been trying to do.”

Sezmu looked intrigued. “You are?”

“Well, of course. Who wouldn’t want to raise the mighty Osiris?”

Shezmu looked absolutely delighted. “I know! There are…rumours that this has been caused by…” He looked left and right. “The Red Lord.”

“That’s what we’ve been looking into.” The Doctor said, flashing is psychic paper. “See? Intergalactic godly rescue crew. That’s us.”

“So you…you do this often?”

“Absolutely.” The Doctor flashed a confident grin. “We actually needed to make our way through. See, if we can’t, Osiris may never return.”

Sezmu quirked his head. “Never?”

The Doctor shrugged. “We’re just trying to help. So if you could let us pass…”

Sezmu considered this for a moment. “Well…If you’re here to return Osiris…And you have got the credentials…”  He frowned. “Perhaps I won’t eat  _ you…” _

“Oh, you can't eat any of them either.” The Doctor said quickly. 

Sezmu frowned. “Why not?”

“Because he needs us!” Sadie suddenly said. “It’s not a one-man job, is it now? Or I’m sure you’d have done it already. I mean, look at you – so strong. Do you work out?”

The demon rumbled with pride and flexed his mighty arms.

“Never fails with men.” Sadie whispered to the Time Lord.

“So you’ll let us through?” The Doctor asked hopefully.

Sezmu hesitated. “I suppose so…You sure I can’t eat anyone?” He pointed at Carter, “Not even that one?”

“Nope,” Sadie said, “I mean, how would we get Osiris back without our handy geek-squad.”

“Hey!” Carter cried, then quickly recovered. “I mean, yes, of course. They’d be lost without their…” He sighed. “Geek-squad…”

Sezmu seemed satisfied. “Very well. Return our king, mighty Geek Squad!”

The demon descended back beneath the waves, leaving silence in his wake.

“That was…impressive.” Bast decided.

“But you know his name, don’t you?” Sadie asked. “Wouldn’t that have been easier?”

“Easier? Perhaps.” The Doctor said, “But that does not mean it’s right. There’s always another way, Sadie.”

The Time Lord noticed Carter watching him carefully, as if trying to analyze him, but not quite knowing what to make of it.

The Doctor silently turned away, watching as the boat rounded a bend in the river.

The reddish glow on the horizon suddenly became a blaze of light. Up in the wheelhouse, the captain rang the alarm bell.

Directly ahead, the river was aflame, rushing through a steaming stretch of rapids towards what looked to be a bubbling volcanic crater.

“The Lake of Fire,” Bast said. “This is where it gets interesting.”


	25. The Hall of Judgement

The steamboat stopped short where the river met the lake – a boiling body of water that smelled of burning petrol and rotten meat. This was mostly because a massive metal gate blocked the path. It was a bronze disk, easily as wide as the boat, half submerged in the river. On either bank of the river, facing the disk, as a giant bronze baboon with arms raised.

“What is this?” Sadie asked.

“The Gates of the West,” Bast said. “Ra’s sunboat would pass through and be renewed in the fires of the lake, then pass through the other side and rise through the Gates of the East for a new day.”

Eyes went to Khufu for ideas, but he simply barked some foul words at the statues and cowered behind Carter’s legs.

“So how do we get past?” Sadie asked.

“Perhaps,” A new voice said, “You should ask me.”

The air shimmered. Carter backed up so quickly he nearly fell over, and Bast hissed.

Before them, appeared a gowing bird spirit: a ba. It had a human head and the body of a turkey, with its wings tucked back and its entire form glowing. The Doctor grinned as he recognized the spirit’s face – an old bald man with brown, papery skin, milky eyes, and a kindly smile.

“Iskandar!”

“Hello, old friend.” The magician’s voice echoed around them. 

“But…” Sadie began tearing up. “You’re really dead, then?”

He chuckled. “Last I checked.”

“But why?” Sadie said. “We didn’t make you –”

“No, my dear. It wasn’t your fault.” He glanced meaningfully at the Doctor. “Nor was it yours. It was simply the right time.”

“It was horrible timing!” Sadie’s surprise and sadness morphed into anger. “You left us before we got trained or anything, and now Desjardins is after us and –”

“My dear, look how far you’ve come. Look how well you have done. You didn’t need me, nor would more training have helped. And with the Doctor there…I knew you would be protected. My brethren would have found out the truth about you soon enough anyway. They are excellent at sniffing out godlings, I fear, and they would not have understood.”

“You knew.” The Doctor murmured. “You knew they were hosting gods.”

“After our second meeting, yes.” Iskandar admitted. “My only regret is that I did not realize it sooner. I could not protect them as much as –”

“As much as who?” Sadie demanded.

Iskandar’s eyes became sad and distant. “I made choices, Sadie. Some seemed wise at the time. Some, in retrospect…”

“Your decision to forbid the gods,” Sadie said. “My mum convinced you it was a bad idea, didn’t she?”

His spectral wings fluttered. “You must understand, Sadie. When Egypt fell to the Romans, my spirit was crushed. Thousands of years of Egyptian power and tradition, toppled by that foolish Queen Cleopatra, who thought she could host a goddess. The blood of the pharaohs seemed weak and diluted – lost forever. At the time, I blamed everyone – the gods who used men to act out their petty quarrels, the Ptolemaic rulers who had driven Egypt into the ground, my…forign friend who swore he could do nothing to help –” Iskandar’s eyes landed on the Doctor, though quickly moved away to sweep over the siblings, “– even my on brethren in the House for becoming weak and greedy and corrupt. I communed with Thoth, and we agreed: the gods must be put away, banished. The magicians must find their way without them. The new rules kept the House of Life intact for another two thousand years. At the time, it was the right choice.”

“And now?” Sadie asked.

Iskandar’s glow dimmed. “Your mother foresaw a great imbalance. She foresaw the day – very soon – when Ma’at would be destroyed, and chaos would reclaim all of Creation. She insisted that only the gods and the House together could prevail. The old way – the path of the gods – would have to be reestablished. I was a foolish old man. I knew in my heart she was right, but I refused to believe…and your parents took it upon themselves to act. They sacrificed themselves trying to put things right, because I was too stubborn for change. For that, I am truly sorry.”

The Doctor watched as Sadie tried to be angry. Then her face softened and looked more sad than anything.

“I forgive you, Iskandar,” She said. “Honestly. But Set is about to destroy North America with a giant red pyramid. What do I do about it?”

“That, my dear, I can’t answer. Your choice…” He tilted his head back towards the lake, as if hearing some silent voice. “Our time is at an end. I must do my job as gatekeeper, and decide whether or not to grant you access to the Lake of Fire.”

“It would be quite helpful if you did.” The Doctor said casually.

“Wait, I’ve got more questions!” Sadie insisted.

“And I wish we had more time,” Iskandar said. “You have a strong spirit, Sadie Kane. Someday, you will make an excellent guardian ba.”

“Thanks,” the girl muttered. “Can’t wait to be poultry forever."

“I can only tell you this: your choice approaches. Don’t let your feelings blind you to what is best, as I did.” Even Sadie couldn’t miss the way Iskandar’s gaze bore into the Doctor’s.

“What choice?” The girl pressed on. “Best for whom?”

“That’s the key, isn’t it?” Iskandar continued. “Your father – your family – the gods – the world. Ma’at and Isfet, order and chaos, are about to collide more violently than they have in eons. You and your brother will be instrumental in balancing those forces, or destroying everything. That, also, your mother foresaw.”

“Hang on. What do you –”

“Until we meet again, Sadie. Perhaps some day, we will have a chance to talk further. But for now, pass through! My job is to assess your courage – and you have that in abundance.”

Then, the spirit faded, leaving the deck quiet and still. Too still. The Doctor turned around, growing as he saw Carter, staring into space, not even blinking, Khufu still clung to his legs, absolutely petrified. Bast’s face was frozen in mid-hiss.

“Um, guys?” Sadie asked nervously. She snapped her fingers, and they all unfroze.

“Ba!” Bast hissed. Then she looked around and scowled. “Wait, I thought I saw…what just happened?”

Fascinating. Somehow, Iskandar had managed to stop time – freeze even a goddess.

“Yeah,” Sadie said, glancing at the Doctor, “I reckon there was ba. Gone now.”

The baboon statues began to rumble and grind as their arms lowered. The bronze sun disk in the middle of the river sank below the surface, clearing the way into the lake. The boat shot forth, directly into the flames and the boiling red waves. Through the shimmering heat, the Doctor could just make out an island in the middle of the lake – on it, an ominous, glittering black temple.

“That’ll be the Hall of Judgement, then.” The Doctor guessed.

Bast nodded. “Times like this, I’m glad I don’t have a mortal soul.”

As they docked at the island, Bloodstained Blade came down to see them off.

“I hope to see you again, Lord and Lady Kane,” He hummed. “Your rooms will be waiting aboard the Egyptian Queen. Unless, of course, you see fit to release me from service.”

Behind his back, Bast shook her head adamantly.

“Um, we’ll keep you around,” Sadie said. “Thanks for everything.”

“As you wish,” The captain said.

“Stay sharp,” Carter told him, and he, Sadie, the Doctor, Bast, and Khufu walked down the gangplank. Instead of pulling away, the ship simply sank into the boiling lava and disappeared.

Sadie scowled to her brother. “‘Stay sharp?’”

“I thought it was funny.” The Doctor piped up.

“See?” Carter said smugly. 

Sadie sighed. “You’re both hopeless.”

They walked up the steps of the black temple. A forest of stone pillars held up the ceiling. Every surface was carved with hieroglyphics and images, but there was no colour – just black on black. Haze from the lake drifted through the temple, and despite reed torches that burned on each pillar, even the Doctor couldn’t see very far through the gloom.

“Stay alert,” Bast warned, sniffing the air. “He’s close.”

“Who’s close?” Inquired the Doctor, sniffing the air as well, but smelling nothing but dust and heat. 

“The Dog.” Bast said with disdain.

There was a snarling noise, and a massive black shape leapt out of the mist. It tackled Bast, who rolled over and wailed in feline outrage, then raced off, leaving the Doctor, Carter, Sadie, and Khufu alone with the hound.

The Doctor pushed the siblings and Khufu behind him as he examined the animal. He was sleek and black canine, graceful…A jackal with a golden collar around his neck.

He then morphed into a young man with a pale complexion, tousled black hair, and rich brown eyes. He was dressed in black jeans, combat boots, a ripped T-shirt, and a black leather jacket. He was long and lean like the jackal. Like the canine, his ears stuck out a bit, and he wore a golden chain around his neck. The Doctor had seen this boy twice before in Sadie’s dreams. He was Anubis.

The boy stood and brushed off his jacket. “I’m not a dog.” He grumbled.

“No,” Sadie agreed, staring dumbfoundedly at the boy. “You’re…”

“You’re Anubis?” Carter asked, saving his sister from inevitably saying something that would embarrass herself. “We’ve come for the feather of truth.”

Anubis frowned. He locked his eyes on the Doctor. “You’re not dead.”

“No,” Sadie piped up, “Though we’re trying awfully hard.”

“I don’t deal with the living.” He said firmly. Then he looked at Khufu and Carter. “However, you travel with a baboon. That shows good taste. I won’t kill you until you’ve had a chance to explain. Why did Bast bring you here?”

“We’ve actually been sent by Thoth,” The Doctor corrected. “We need the feather of truth.”

“Yes, you mentioned.” Anabis said, looking at the Doctor expectantly. But just as the Time Lord began to tell him the story, Khufu broke in impatiently, and in two barks, he managed to convey most of what had happened.

Anubis nodded. “I see.” He scowled at Carter. “So you’re Horus. And you’re…” His finger drifted towards Sadie.

“I’m – I’m, um – I’m not Isis,” Sadie managed. “I mean, Isis is milling about inside, but I’m not her. She’s just…visiting.”

Anubis tilted his head curiously. “And the two of you intend to challenge Set?”

“Three, actually.” The Doctor corrected. “But that’s the general idea.”

“Are you…willing to help?” Carter asked hopefully.

Anubis glowered.

“No,” He said flatly. “I’ll show you why.”

The boy turned into a jackal and sped back the way he’d come. The Doctor, Carter, and Sadie exchanged a shrug. The Doctor grinned madly and cried, “Allons-y!” Before charging into the gloom, Sadie, Carter, and Khufu right behind.

In the center of the temple was a large circular chamber that appeared to be two places at once. On one hand, it was a great hall with blazing braziers and an empty throne at the far end. The center of the room was dominated by a set of scales – a black iron T with ropes linked to two golden dishes, each big enough to hold a person – but the scales were broken. One of the golden dishes was bent into a V, as if something incredibly heavy had jumped down upon it. The other dish was hanging by a single rope.

Curled at the base of the scales, fast asleep, was a creature. It had the head of a crocodile with a lion’s mane. The front half of its body was a lion, but the back end was of a sleek, brown hippopotamus. But the creature was tiny – about the size of a poodle.

On the other hand, they seemed to be standing in a ghostly graveyard. In some places, the marble floor gave way to patches of mud and moss-covered paving stones. Lines of aboveground tombs radiated from the center of the chamber in a wheel-spokes pattern. Many of the tombs had cracked open. Some were bricked up, others ringed with iron fences. Around the edges of the chamber, the black pillars shifted form, sometimes changing into ancient cypress trees.

Khufu loped directly over to the broken scales and climbed atop them, paying no attention to the creature beneath.

The jackal trotted to the steps of the throne and changed back into the boy.

“Welcome,” He said, “To the last room you will ever see.”

“The Hall of Judgement,” The Doctor hummed, looking around. “Quite impressive, I must say.”

Carter focused on the strange creature beneath the scales. “Is that…”

“Ammit the Devourer, I should think.” The Doctor nodded.

Carter frowned. “I always pictured him…bigger.”

Anubis gave Carter a harsh look. “Ammit only has to be big enough to eat the hearts of the wicked. Trust me, he does his job well. Or…he did it well, anyway.”

Up on the scales, Khufu grunted, nearly losing his balance on the central beam, and the dented saucer clanged against the floor.

“Why are the scales broken?” Sadie asked.

Anubis frowned. “Ma’at is weakening. I’ve tried to fix them, but…” He spread his hands helplessly.

The Doctor hummed. “That must be why the graveyard’s popping in.”

Carter looked at the Time Lord strangely. “What graveyard?”

The Doctor frowned, as Sadie said, “Wait, you can’t see it? Any of it? The tombs? The trees?”

“What are you talking about?” Carter demanded.

“He can’t see them,” Anubis said. “But you, Sadie – you’re perceptive.”

“So am I.” The Doctor grumbled.

Anubis waved him off, “You’re…strange. You don’t count.” He turned back to Sadie. “What do you hear?”

For a moment, the Doctor wasn’t sure what he meant. He hesitated to listen – he could hear the distant rumble and crackle of the Lake of Fire, Khufu scratching himself and grunting…and a more distant sound – music.

“Jazz,” Sadie identified.

In an instant, the Hall of Judgement was gone. Well, not gone, but faded. The humid evening air now smelt of spices, fish stew, and old mildewed places. The script on the gravestones was in French, and the trees hung low and lush, covered with Spanish moss.

The music was coming from just outside the cemetery’s fence where a jazz band was parading down the street in somber blck suits and brightly coloured party hats. Saxophones bobbed up and down. Cornets and clarinets wailed. Drummers grinned and swayed, their sticks flashing. And behind them, carrying flowers and torches, a crowd of revelers in funeral clothes danced around a black hearse as it drove along.

“Where are we?” Sadie was beside the Doctor, marveling at their surroundings.

“New Orleans.” The Doctor said. “The French Quarter.”

Sadie sighed. “How do you do that?”

“He read the sign.” Anubis smirked. He was leaning casually against the fence and gesturing to a sign at the entrance that read:  _ Cimetière de la Nouvelle-Orléans. _

Sadie grinned at the Doctor, whose face remained emotionless.

“No.” He finally said. “Because I’ve been here before.” He swept an arm around, “This is the Drowned City.”

Anubis nodded slowly, examining the Doctor with curiosity. “Indeed. We’re in the French Quarter, on the west side of the river – the shore of the dead.” He peeled his eyes off the Time Lord and switched towards Sadie. “I love it here. That’s why the Hall of Judgement often connects to this part of the mortal world.”

The jazz procession made its way down the street, drawing more onlookers into the party.

“What are they celebrating?” Sadie asked.

“A funeral,” Anubis said. “They’ve just put the deceased in his tomb. Now they’re ‘cutting the body loose.’ The mourners celebrate the dead one’s life with song and dance as they escort the empty hearse away from the cemetery. Very Egyptian, this ritual.”

“How do you know so much?” Sadie asked.

“I am the god of funerals. I know every death custom in the world – how to die properly, how to prepare the body and soul for the afterlife. I live for death.”

“You must be fun at parties,” Sadie said. “Why did you bring us here?”

“To talk.” The god spread his hands, and the nearest tomb rumbled. A long white ribbon shot out of a crack in the wall. The ribbon kept coming, weaving itself into a sort of shape beside Anubis.

It was a cloth, a length of white linen wrappings – mummy wrappings. The cloth twisted itself into the form of a bench, and Anubis sat down.

“I don’t like Horus.” He gestured for the Doctor and Sadie to join him.

“Nor do I.” The Doctor grumbled.

“He’s loud and arrogant and thinks he’s better than me,” Anubis continued, “But Isis always treated me like a son.”

Sadie crossed her arms. “You’re not my son. And I told you I’m not Isis.”

Anubis tilted his head. “No. You don’t act like a godling. You remind me of your mother.”

Sadie froze. “You’ve met my mother?”

Anubis blinked, as if realizing he’d done something he wasn’t supposed to. “I – I know all the dead, but each spirit’s path is secret. I should not have spoken.”

“You can’t just say something like that and then clam up!” Sadie cried. “Is she in the Egyptian afterlife? Did she pass your little Hall of Judgement?”

Anubis glanced uneasily at the golden scales, which shimmered like a mirage in the graveyard. “It is not my hall. I merely oversee it until Lord Osiris returns. I’m sorry if I upset you, but I can’t say anything more. I don’t know why I said anything at all. It’s just…your soul has a similar glow. A strong glow.”

“How flattering,” Sadie grumbled. “My soul glows.”

The Doctor and Sadie sat down with Anubis.

Sadie looked at the Doctor curiously, then looked back to Anubis. “Does the Doctor have a glow?”

“Yes,” Anubis said immediately. He scowled at the Doctor. “Incredibly bright. It’s irritating.”

There was a long pause.

“So,” Sadie finally said, “What’s that form, then? Are you a godling?”

Anubis frowned and put a hand to his chest. “You mean, am I inhabiting a human body? No, I can inhabit any graveyard, any place of death or mourning. This is my natural appearance.”

“Oh.” Sadie sighed. “So, if you can’t tell me anything useful, at least help me. We need a feather of truth.”

Anubis shook his head again. “You don’t know what you’re asking. The feather of truth is too dangerous. Giving it to a mortal would be against the rules of Osiris.”

“But I’m not a mortal – sort of. Technically?” The Doctor shrugged. “You said it yourself – I’m strange and don’t count.”

Anubis eyed the Doctor thoughtfully.

“And Osiris isn’t here.” Sadie piped up, pointing at the empty throne. “That’s his seat, isn’t it? Do you see Osiris?”

Anubis’s eyes flicked to the throne. He ran his fingers along his golden chain as if it was getting tighter.

“It’s true that I’ve waited here for ages, keeping my station. I was not imprisoned like the rest. I don’t know why…but I did the best I could. When I heard the five had been released, I hoped Lord Osiris would return, but…” He shook his head dejectedly. “Why would he neglect his duties?”

“Probably because he’s trapped inside my dad.” Sadie grumbled.

Anubis stared at Sadie. “The baboon did not explain this.”

“Well, I can’t explain as well as a baboon,” Sadie said. “But basically my dad wanted to release some gods for reasons I don’t quite…Maybe he thought, ‘I’ll just pop down to the British Museum and blow up the Rosetta stone!’ And he released Osiris, but he also got Set and the rest of that lot.”

“So Set imprisoned your father while he was hosting Osiris,” Anubis said, “Which means Osiris has also been trapped by my –” He stopped himself. “By Set.”

Interesting. His what?

“So you know you’ve got to help us.” The Doctor insisted.

Anubis hesitated, then shook his head. “I can’t. I’ll get in trouble.”

Sadie stared at him and laughed. “You’ll get in trouble?” She cried. “How old are you, sixteen? You’re a god!”

“Even gods have rules they must follow,” The Doctor murmured to her. “Consequences can be…catastrophic. And often aren’t against them, but their followers or children.”

“Father cannot abide the smallest lie.” Anubis said. “If I gave it to you, and you spoke a single untruth while you carried it, or acted in any way that was not truthful, you would burn to ashes.”

“You’re assuming I’m a liar.” Sadie challenged.

Anubis blinked. “No, I simply –”

“You’ve never told a lie? What were you about to say just now – about Set? He’s your father, I’m guessing. Is that it?”

Anubis closed his mouth, then opened it again. He looked as if he wanted to get angry, but was somewhat surprised with the girl’s outburst. “Are you always this infuriating?”

“Yes.” The Doctor said.

“Usually more,” Sadie admitted.

“Why hasn’t your family married you off to someone far, far away?” He asked. It was clearly a very honest question. 

“Excuse me, death boy!” Sadie cried, “But I’m twelve! Well…almost thirteen, and a very mature almost thirteen, but that’s not the point. We don’t ‘marry off’ girls in my family, and you may know everything about funerals, but apparently you aren’t very up to speed on courtship rituals!”  
Anubis looked mystified. “Apparently not.”

“Right! Wait – what were we talking about? Oh, thought you could distract me, eh? I remember. Set’s your father, yes? Tell the truth.”

Anubis gazed across the graveyard. The sound of the jazz funeral was fading into the streets of the French Quarter.

“Yes,” He said. “At least, that’s what the legends say. I never met him. My mother, Nephthys, gave me to Osiris when I was a child.”

“She…gave you away?” Sadie asked quietly.

“She said she didn’t want me to know my father.” Anubis said. “But in truth, I’m not sure she knew what to do with me. I wasn’t like my cousin Horus. I wasn’t a warrior. I was a…different child.” He sounded bitter. 

“Osiris took you under his wing, didn’t he?” The Doctor recalled gingerly. “He made you Lord of Funerals, the Keeper of the Ways of Death.”

Anubis nodded. “It’s a good job, but…you asked me how old I am. The truth is I don’t know. Years don’t pass in the Land of the Dead. I still feel quite young, but the world has gotten old around me. And Osiris has been gone so long…He’s the only family I had.”

The Doctor looked sadly upon the god. Anubis matched his gaze. There was something horribly familiar in those lonely eyes.

Finally, the Doctor asked, “So will you help us? We will send Set back into the Duat, and Osiris will be free.”

Anubis shook his head again. “I told you –”

“Your scales are broken,” Sadie observed. “That’s because Osiris isn’t here, I’m guessing. What happens to all the souls that come for judgement?”

She’d clearly hit a nerve. Anubis shifted uncomfortably on the bench. “It increases chaos. The souls become confused. Some cannot go to the afterlife. Some manage, but they must find other ways. I try to help, but…the Hall of Judgement is also called the Hall of Ma’at. It is meant to be the center of order, a stable foundation. Without Osiris, it is falling into disrepair, crumbling.”

“Then what are you waiting for?” Sadie demanded. “Give us the feather. Unless you’re afraid your dad will ground you.”

Anubis’s eyes flashed with irritation. For a moment, he seemed furious, but then he simply sighed in exasperation. “I do a ceremony called the opening of the mouth. It lets the soul of the dead person come forth. For you, Sadie Kane, I would invent a new ceremony: the closing of the mouth.”

“Ha, ha.” Sadie said. “Are you going to give me the feather or not?”

“Not you,” The Doctor said. “I’ll hold the feather. You’re a mortal. You could burn yourself up.”

“What? You think I can’t handle it?”

“I don’t want to take that risk.” The Doctor said calmly.

Sadie looked like she was about to punch the Doctor, but before she could say anything, Anubis interrupted. “Sadie shall hold it.”

The Doctor narrowed his eyes. “Why?”

“Because her fate is entangled with the world’s. Yours is not.”

He opened his hand. There was a burst of light, and a glowing feather floated above his palm – a snowy plume that looked much like a writing quill. “For Osiris’s sake – but I will insist on several conditions. First, only you may handle it.”

Sadie scoffed. “Well, of course. You don’t think I’d let Carter –”

“Also, you must listen to my mother, Nephthys. Khufu told me you were looking for her. If you manage to find her, listen to her.”

“Easy,” Sadie said, though she looked slightly uncomfortable with the request.

“And before you go,” Anubis continued, “you must answer three questions for me as you hold the feather of truth to prove that you are honest.”

Sadie hesitated. “Um…what sort of questions?”

“Any that I want.” Anubis said. “And remember, the slightest lie will destroy you.”

Sadie nodded determinedly. “Give me the bloody feather.”

As he handed it to the girl, the feather stopped glowing.

“It’s the tail feather from a bennu,” Anubis explained, “What you’d call a phoenix. It weighs exactly the same as a human soul. Are you ready?”

“No,” Sadie admitted, which must have been truthful, as she didn’t burn up. “Does that count as one question?”

Anubis smiled. “I suppose it does. You bargain like a Phoenician sea trader, Sadie Kane. Second question, then: Would you give your life for your brother?”

“Yes,” Sadie said immediately. She looked slightly surprised herself, glancing accusingly down at the feather.

Anubis nodded, unsurprised. “Final question: If it means saving the world, are you prepared to lose your father?”

The Doctor glared at Anubis, “That’s not a fair question.”

“And yet she must answer it anyway.” Anubis said evenly.

Sadie hesitated. “If…if there really was no other way – no other way at all – Oh, come off. It’s a ridiculous question.”

The feather began to glow.

“All right,” She relented. “If I had to, then I suppose…I suppose I would save the world.”

The Doctor could see guilt crash over the girl’s eyes. She clutched the tyet amulet on her necklace. 

She struggled to meet Anubis’s eyes, but when she did, the boy’s expression softened.

“I believe you, Sadie.”

“Oh, really?” Sadie snapped. “I’m holding the bloody feather of truth, and you believe me. Well, thanks.”

“The truth is harsh,” Anubis said. “Spirits come to the Hall of Judgement all the time, and they cannot let go of their lies. They deny their faults, their true feelings, their mistakes…right up until Ammit devours their souls for eternity. It takes strength and courage to admit the truth.”

“Yeah. I feel so strong and courageous. Thanks.” Sadie said flatly.

Anubis stood. “I should leave you now. You’re running out of time. In just over twenty-four hours, the sun will rise on Set’s birthday, and he will complete his pyramid – unless you stop him. Perhaps when next we meet –”

“You’ll be just as annoying?” Sadie guessed.

Anubix fixed his eyes on her. “Or perhaps you could bring me up to speed on modern courtship rituals.”

Sadie turned pink, staring at him, stunned.

Anubis smirked then nodded at the Doctor. “Until we meet again.”

“Yeah, right.” The Doctor waved awkwardly.

Anubis disappeared.

The scales of the throne vanished. The linen bench unraveled and dumped the Doctor and Sadie in the middle of the graveyard. Cater and Khufu suddenly appeared next to them.

“He’s horrible!” Sadie growled.

“Wait, what’s going on?” Carter demanded. “Where are we?”

“Self-important,” Sadie went on, “sarcastic, incredibly hot, insufferable –”

_ “Did you get the feather?”  _ Khufu barked.

“Yes, we got it.” The Doctor said, looking over to Sadie, who held out here and, and in her palm, a glowing white plume floated. She closed her fist and it disappeared again.

“Woah,” Carter said. “But what about Anubis? How did you –”

Sadie scowled. “Let’s find Bast and get out of here. We’ve got work to do.”

She stormed off out of the graveyard.

Carter looked to the Doctor for answers.

He hesitated. “They sort of made a deal…”

“Wait, she didn’t like, sell her soul or anything?” Carter fretted.

“No, no, nothing like that.” The Doctor promised distractedly as they hurried to catch up. “Now, where do you think Bast went?”


	26. A godly Phone Call

They left New Orleans at thirteen hundred hours on December the twenty-eighth. One day before Set planned to destroy the planet. Bast “borrowed” an RV – she had initially suggested taking a plane, but after hearing Carter’s dream about magicians on the exploding flight, she agreed that planes might not be the most brilliant of ideas.

“Not to mention, Zeus might blast us out of the sky.” The Doctor grumbled.

Sadie turned to him. “Who?”

“No one. Old friend – Well, I say old friend, more like…begrudging ally.”

“But Set’s not our only problem,” Bast said, eyeing the Doctor warily. “If your vision is correct, Carter, the magicians are closing in on us. And not just any magicians – Desjardins himself. ”

“And Zia,” Sadie smirked at her brother, who scowled back.

In the end, they decided that it was safer to drive, even if it was slower. With luck, they’d make Phoenix just in time to challenge Set. As for the House of Life…all they could do was hope to avoid them until they could defeat Set.

The Doctor, Bast, and Khufu alternated driving – well, the Doctor did most of it, but Bast and Khufu were not particularly happy with that arrangement.

“In their defense,” Sadie said, “You look about fourteen.”

Bast managed to get the Doctor to take a break around breakfast, allowing Khufu to take the wheel and taking the Time Lord to the RV’s kitchen to sit with herself, Sadie, and Carter. 

Bast had snagged them some snacks and drinks – and Friskies, of course – from a New Orleans all-night convenience store before they left, but no one appeared all that hungry. Bast was very clearly anxious. She’d already shredded most of the RV’s upholstery, and was now using the kitchen table as a scratching post.

As for Sadie, she kept opening and closing her hand, staring at the feather of truth. Carter seemed to catch on to this, as he asked, “What happened with Anubis?”

Sadie glared at him, then sighed, fixing her eyes on the glowing feather that hovered over her palm. “We talked,” she said cautiously, glancing at the Doctor as if to dare him to speak up. “He asked me some questions.”

“What kind of questions?”

“Carter,” The Doctor said softly, glancing between the siblings. “Leave it.”

Carter gave him a curious look, then nodded at the floor.

The Doctor watched as Carter’s eyes drifted to Bast, who was slowly gouging the Formica to bits with her claws. “What’s wrong?”

The feline kept her eyes on the table. “In the Land of the Dead, I abandoned you. Again.”

“Anubis startled you,” The boy said casually. “It’s no big deal.”

Bast gave him a look that told him that had not made things better.

“I made a promise to your father, Carter.” She said. “In exchange for my freedom, he gave me a job even more important than fighting the Serpent: protecting Sadie – and if it ever became necessary, protecting both of you.”

Sadie flushed. “Bast, that’s…I mean, thank you and all, but we’re hardly more important than fighting…you know, him.”

“Yeah,” Carter said, “And the Doctor was there. We weren’t exactly unprotected.”

“You don’t understand,” Bast said. “The two of you are not just blood of the pharaohs. You’re the most powerful royal children to be born in centuries. You’re the only chance we have of reconciling the gods and the House of Life, of relearning the old ways before it’s too late. If you could learn the path of the gods, you could find others with royal blood and teach them. You could revitalize the House of Life. What your parents did – everything they did, was to prepare the way for you.”

Sadie and Carter looked like they didn’t know what to say.

“They didn’t want to leave you alone,” Bast said, “They didn’t plan on it, but they knew releasing the gods would be dangerous. Believe me, they understood how special you are. At first I was protecting you two because I promised. Now even if I hadn’t promised, I would. You two are like kittens to me. I won’t fail you again.”

“Good to know I’m appreciated.” The Doctor grumbled.

“You’re a kitten, Doctor, you’re just not one of mine.” Bast said. “I’m just trying to make sure you don’t get yourself killed while I’m around.”

“Oi!”

“And Sadie,” Bast said, “By the way, I’m proud of you.”

“What?”

“Dealing with Anubis – those death gods can be nasty customers.”

Sadie shrugged uncomfortably. “Well, I wouldn’t call him nasty. I mean, he looked hardly more than a teenager.”

Carter looked at his sister strangely. “What are you talking about? He had the head of a jackal.”

Sadie rolled her eyes. “No, when he turned human.”

“Sadie…” Carter said anxiously. “When Anubis turned human he still had the head of a jackal. He was huge and terrifying and, yeah, pretty nasty. Why, what did he look like to you?”

Sadie’s cheeks reddened. “He looked…like a mortal guy.”

“Probably a glamour,” Bast said.

“No,” The Doctor frowned, “No, I would’ve seen through a glamour…” Wouldn’t he have?

“Wait, you saw him too?” Sadie asked.

“Yes, I did…” The Doctor murmured. “Now, gods can make themselves appear human…But if Carter saw…”

“What?” Sadie asked, “What is it?”

“I’m not sure…” The Doctor admitted.

“Well, it’s not important,” Carter said. “We got the feather.”

Sadie fidgeted as if it was very important. But then she closed her fist and the feather of truth disappeared. “It won’t do us any good without the secret name of Set.”

Carter then eyed the Doctor suspiciously. “Doctor, if you know the name of Set…”

“I have my suspicions…” The Doctor murmured. “But…I don’t know for sure.”

“I’m working on that.” Bast said, her gaze shifting around the room as if afraid of being overheard. “I’ve got a plan. But it’s dangerous.”

“Ooh, I love a dangerous plan.” The Doctor grinned.

“We’ll have to make a stop.” Bast said. “I’d rather not jinx us until we get closer, but it’s on our way. Shouldn’t cause much of a delay.”

“This is the morning of the second Demon Day?” Carter calculated.

Bast nodded. “The day Horus was born.”

“And Set’s birthday is tomorrow, the third Demon Day.” Carter said. “That means we have about twenty-four hours until he destroys North America.”

“Yep,” The Doctor said. “And if he gets his hands on you two,” he gestured at Sadie and Carter, “he’ll have even more power.”

“It’ll be enough time,” Bast said. “It’s roughly twenty-four hours driving from New Orleans to Phoenix, and we’ve already been on the road for over five hours. If we don’t have any more nasty surprises –”

“Because  _ that’s  _ not going to jinx us.” The Doctor murmured.

“Well,” Carter said with a shaky breath. “If you need me, I’ll be outside playing with sharp objects.” He grabbed his sword and headed for the back of the RV.

The Doctor sat on the top of the RV, watching Carter practice with his sword. Sadie had wanted to have a private word with Bast, so the Doctor had taken to calling out advice to Carter.

“Lift the blade higher!” The Doctor called, “It’s supposed to disarm, not stab people!”

“Will you stop!” Carter shouted back at him, “You’re almost as bad as Horus!”

After an hour of practice, Carter’s shirt was stuck to his chest with sweat and his breathing was heavy. He sat down for a break, and the Doctor slid down to sit beside him.

“It approaches,” A voice said. The Doctor spun around, only to find the shimmering golden aura of Horus was sitting back in a deck chair in his leather armour with his sandaled feet up on the railing. His sword, a ghostly copy of Carter’s own, was propped beside him.

“What?” Carter looked from the Doctor to Horus. “You can see him too?”

“Yes, I can,” The Doctor murmured grumpily.

“Trust me, I’m not particularly happy to see you either.” Horus grumbled.

“What is it, then?” Carter interrupted anxiously. “What’s approaching? The fight with Set?”

“That, of course,” Horus said. “But there is another challenge before that. Be prepared.”

“Great.” Carter said. “As if we didn’t have enough challenges already.”

Horus’s silver and gold eyes glittered. “When I was growing up, Set tried to kill me many times. My mother and I fled from place to place, hiding from him until I was old enough to face him. The Red Lord will send the same forces against you. The next will come –”

“At a river,” Carter guessed, undoubtedly remembering his most recent dream. “Something bad is going to happen at a river. But what’s the challenge?”

“You must beware –” Horus’s image began to fade, and the god frowned. “What’s this? Someone is trying to – a different force –”

He was suddenly replaced by the glowing image of Zia.

“Zia!” Carter shot up out of his chair.

“Carter?” Her image flickered. She was clutching her staff, and wore a gray coat wrapped over her robes as if she were standing somewhere cold. “Thank Thoth I found you.”

“Good to see you too.” The Doctor grumbled.

“How did you get here?” Carter asked.

“No time!” Zia insisted. “Listen: we’re coming after you. Desjardins, me, and two others. We don’t know exactly where you are. Desjardins’ tracking spells are having trouble finding you, but he knows we’re getting close. And he knows where you’re going – Phoenix.”

“So he finally believes Set is free?” Carter asked. “You’re coming to help us?”

“No…” The Doctor murmured. “He’s coming to stop us.”

“What?” Carter gaped at the Time Lord. “Set’s about to blow up the continent!”

“Well, think about it from his side,” The Doctor said, “The House of Life’s been trying to keep the gods locked up for what? Centuries? They’ve been trying to prevent this from happening. Now that they’ve been released…”

“You’re trying to fight Set with divine magic.” Sadie said, “gods can’t be controlled. You could end up doing even more damage. If you let the House of Life handle this –”

“Set is too strong,” Carter said. “And I can control Horus. I can do this.”

Zia shook her head. “It will get harder as you get closer to Set. You have no idea.”

Carter raised an eyebrow. “And you do?”

Zia glanced nervously to her left. Her image went fuzzy. “We don’t have much time. Mel will be out of the restroom soon. Desjardins is splitting us into two teams. The plan is for us to cut you off on either side and intercept you. If my team reaches you first, I think I can keep Mel from attacking long enough for us all to talk. Then maybe we can figure out how to approach Desjardins, to convince him we have to cooperate.”

“And you want to cooperate?” The Doctor asked. “Why?”

“Yeah,” Carter said. “Why should we trust you?”

Zia pursed her lips, looking genuinely hurt. Guilt floated through Carter’s eyes.

“Carter…” She said. “I have something to tell you. Something that might help, but it has to be said in person.”

“Tell me now.” Carter said.

“Thoth’s beak! You are impossibly stubborn!”

“Yeah, it’s a gift.”

The two children locked eyes. There was a sense of longing that emanated from Carter as her image faded.

“If you won’t trust me, I’ll have to trust you.” Zia said. “I will arrange to be in Las Cruces, New Mexico, tonight. If you choose to meet me, perhaps we can convince Mel. Then together, we’ll convince Desjardins. Will you come?”

Carter looked at the Doctor for an answer.

“We’ll try.” The Doctor said.

Zia nodded. That seemed to be good enough for now. “Oh, and don’t trust Amos. If you see him –” Her eyes widened. “Mel’s here!” She whispered.

Zia slashed her staff in front of her, and her image vanished.


	27. Crocodiles at the Rio Grande

Hours later, the RV finally stopped. The Doctor woke Carter, who was asleep whilst Khufu forged for bugs in his hair. 

“Dude,” Carter murmured as he sat up groggily. “Not cool.”

“But he gave you a lovely hairdo,” Sadie said from across the RV.

Khufu barked in agreement as Bast opened the door of the trailer. “Come on,” she said. “We’ll have to walk from here.”

Bast had decided to park on a mountain road so tediously that they were balancing precariously on the narrow road.

The sun was just setting on the horizon. Rugged mountain ranges stretched out on either side, and the desert floor between them seemed to go on for ages. In a valley to the left lay a colourless city – hardly any trees or grass, just sand, gravel, and buildings. It was much smaller than Phoenix and a large river traced its southern edge, glinting red in the fading light. The river curved around the base of the mountains below before snaking off to the north.

“We’re on the moon,” Sadie murmured.

“Actually, I think we’re in Texas,” The Doctor corrected, “Trust me, the moon’s much more impressive.”

“El Paso, Texas,” Bast announced. “And that’s the Rio Grande.” She took a deep breath of the cool dry air. “A river civilization in the desert.”

“Oh, the good ol’ Sun City,” The Doctor hummed, spinning around, “Established in 1850 – the boot-making capital of the world. I was nearly killed not far from here – that bloody nun –”

“Okay,  _ what?”  _ Sadie demanded.

The Doctor grinned. “Loretto Academy. Everyone was saying it was haunted, so naturally I had to take a look.”

“Right,” Sadie said. “Naturally.”

“Turns out it wasn’t a ghost but this species called Xamahn,” The Doctor said, bouncing on the balls of his feet, “They’re sort of out of sync with our physical plane – just a couple layers beneath, but in the same place. They were sort of leaving these echoes on our physical world. Most are harmless, but others,” He shrugged.

“I’m guessing it’s not unusual for people to try to kill you.” Carter said.

“Not really.”

“So Texas,” Sadie said, “Why are we here?”

“El Paso is actually very much like Egypt,” Bast said. “Er, except for the fact that Mexico is next door. I think this is the best spot to summon Nephthys.”

“You really think she’ll tell us Set’s secret name?” Sadie asked.

Bast considered. “Nephthys is unpredictable, but she has sided against her husband before. We can hope.”

Sadie stared down at the river far below. “Why did you park us on the mountain? Why not closer?”

Bast shrugged as though this hadn’t occurred to her. “Cats like to get up as high as possible. In case we have to pounce on something.”

“Great,” Carter grumbled. “So if we have to pounce, we’re all set.”

“It’s not so bad,” Bast said. “We just climb our way down to the river through a few miles of sand, cacti, and rattlesnakes, looking out for the Border Patrol, human traffickers, magicians, and demons – and summon Nephthys.”

Sadie whistled, “Well, I’m excited!”

_ “I smell badness.”  _ Khufu growled as he sniffed the air.

“Even I could smell that,” Carter grumbled once Bast had translated.

“There’s actually a species of cat on New Mars that can jump up to fifteen meters in the air.” The Doctor told Sadie as they descended.

Sadie raised an eyebrow, “New Mars? Did they seriously name a planet ‘New Mars’?”

“Of course not,” The Doctor scoffed. “That would be ridiculous. New Mars isn’t a planet, it’s a moon – one of the moons around New Earth, actually.”

“New Earth?”

“Yep!” There was a pang in the Time Lord’s hearts as he was reminded of how he and Rose frolicked in the apple grass.

Sadie frowned, and the Doctor quickly covered up the sorrow with a smile that he was aware didn’t quite reach his eyes.

As they continued to walk, the Doctor began to recognize their surroundings…About fifty meters ahead of them, a river spread out into a swampy area – a web of slow-moving tributaries cutting a shallow depression through the desert. Marsh grass grew tall along the banks. He had been here before in one of Carter’s dreams – this was where Isis and a young Horus had been hiding from Set…

The look the Doctor and Carter exchanged told him that Carter was thinking the same.

He caught Bast’s arm when she was a few steps from the bank. “Stay away from the water.”

The feline frowned at the boy. “Carter, I’m a cat. I’m not going for a swim. But if you want to summon a river goddess, you really need to do it at the riverbank.”

Sadie tossed a rock into the murky brown water. “Seems quite safe to me,” She decided as the rock hit the water. She trudged down to the banks, Khufu following hesitantly behind. But once the baboon reached the water, he sniffed at it and snarled.

“See?” Carter said, “Even Khufu doesn’t like it.”

“It’s probably ancestral memory,” Bast suggested. “The river was a dangerous place in Egypt. Snakes, hippos, all kinds of problems.”

“Hippos?”

The Doctor grimaced. “Never underestimate a hippo, Carter.”

“Wait,” Sadie said, holding back a laugh, “Have you seriously been attacked by a hippo?”

The Doctor nodded grimly. It was not an experience he planned on partaking in again.

“So was that what attacked Horus, then?” Carter asked. “I mean, in the old days, when Set was looking for him?”

“Haven’t heard that story,” Bast said. “Usually you hear that Set used scorpions first. Then later, crocodiles.”

“Crocodiles,” Carter shivered. “Does the Rio Grande have crocodiles?”

“Nope,” The Doctor said, “Or, it shouldn’t. But…” He cast his gaze across the water, “Doesn’t mean there won’t be any here…”

Bast examined the river, though drew back when she saw nothing. “Sadie,” She said, “If you’d do the honours?”

Sadie looked up at her. “How?”

“Just ask for Nephthys to appear.” Bast explained, “She was Isis’s sister. If she’s anywhere on this side of the Duat, she should hear your voice.”

Sadie looked doubtful, but she knelt beside Bast and touched the water. Her fingertips caused ripples that seemed much too large, rings of force emanating across the river.

“Hullo, Nephthys?” She said nervously, “Anyone home?”

A splash sounded downriver, and the Doctor glanced over to see a family crossing the border midstream. A man and a woman carried a young girl between them – they were dressed in ragged clothing. Immigrants, then. Illegal ones at that. The man met the Doctor’s gaze and gave him a wary look. The Doctor gave a small smile and the man continued on his way.

The Doctor looked over at Carter, who was looking towards the family as well. He then turned to see the Doctor watching him. The Doctor sent over a sad smile, then looked back towards Bast and Sadie.

The two girls were staying focused on the water, watching the ripples spread out from Sadie’s fingers.

Bast tilted her head, listening intently. “What’s she saying?”

“I can’t make it out,” Sadie whispered. “Very faint.”

“You can actually hear something?” Carter asked.

“Shhh,” They both hushed him.

“‘Caged’…” Sadie said. “No, what is that word in English?”

“Sheltered,” Bast suggested. “She is sheltered far away. A sleeping host. What is that supposed to mean?”

The Doctor glanced up towards where he’d just seen the family, but they had disappeared. He hesitated, scanning both banks, but there was no sign of them. There was no way they’d have been able to cross so quickly…But the water was more turbulent where they’d been standing…

The Doctor began to pull Carter away from the water.

“What are you doing?” Carter whispered.

“I want to check something.”

“Guys, we can barely hear Nephthys,” Saide cried.

“We’ll be back in just a tick,” The Doctor said and began to run down the riverbank, dragging Carter along with him, Khufu not far behind.

Finally, the three of them reached where they’d seen the family, but the water had calmed. Khufu slapped the ground and did a nervous handstand.

_ “Go back, go back! I sense bad! Bad!”  _ Khufu insisted, backing away from the river.

“No,” The Doctor said firmly, “If they got pulled into the water by something, I need to find them.”

Carter looked nervous, but then took a breath and nodded. “I’m coming too.”

“No, you stay on the bank with Khufu,” The Doctor said, shedding his trenchcoat, “Keep to the shore. Shout if you see anything.”

“No!” Carter shouted forcefully, “I’m coming too!”

The Doctor hesitated, looking from the boy to the water, “I don’t have time to argue with you. Stay here. Don’t wander off.”

The Doctor ran into water. It was colder and swifter than he’d initially anticipated, but he kept moving. From the corner of his eye, he could see Carter scrambling to catch up with him, sword in hand. The Doctor scowled at him and quickened his pace. He had to get this family to safety before all five of them died.

He was midstream when Khufu barked urgently. He was jumping around on the riverbank, pointing frantically at a nearby clump of reeds.

_ “There! Found them! Run!” _

The Doctor sprinted over. The family was huddled inside, trembling with fear, their eyes wide.

“It’s all right,” The Doctor promised, “I’m here to help – I won’t hurt you.”

_ “Please, run, sir!” _ The man cried in Spanish,  _ “There’s a crocodile!” _

Oh, that wasn’t good.

He noticed the water churning beneath him just a moment too late.

The crocodile erupted beneath him, massive maw snapping shut around his ankle. It pulled him under the water, the Doctor fighting all the way. He just had to get out, and he could reason with the creature. His mind was buzzing as he was dragged through the water, trying to ignore the pain; why was he here? There were not supposed to be crocodiles in the Rio Grande. How had he gotten here. And why was he…

As they resurfaced, the Doctor used his limited amount of air to shout, “You’re alone, why are you alone?”

Seemingly out of pure surprise, the crocodile released his grip, and the Doctor began subtly swimming back towards Carter and the family. “Crocodiles, they hunt in floats, why are you alone?” The crocodile growled something, though it wasn’t an angry growl. It was a growl of something akin to laughter…

“What is it…What’s so funny?” The Doctor murmured, “I can help you, you just have to stop attacking us.”

From the corner of his eye, the Doctor could see the family hurrying away from the water, Khufu guiding them along. And Carter…Well, Carter was running right towards the Doctor.

“Carter, no!”

Before the Doctor’s warning could be properly heard, Carter shouted, “Sadie, Bast, help!” and threw his wand.

The wand promptly hit the river just in front of the crocodile, then skipped off the water like a stone, smacked the creature between the eyes, and shot right back into the boy’s hand.

This did not please the crocodile.

Carter charged forth, yelling to keep the crocodile’s attention. He ducked left, slashing with his sword, but the blade bounced off the creature’s hide. He thrashed sideways, and his snout would’ve bashed into Carter’s head, but the boy instinctively raised his wand and the crocodile slammed into the wall of force, bouncing off.

“Carter, what are you doing?” The Doctor demanded. “I was talking to him!”

“He could understand you?” Carter shouted back.

It was then that the Doctor heard Bast scream, “NO!”

The Doctor spun around to see the goddess battling a crocodile just as large as the one before the Doctor and Carter with the same gray-green skin and ridged thick plates.

Well, he found one of the members of the float.

The Doctor saw Carter thrust out his wand and a wall of energy surged outwards, slamming into the crocodile so hard he went flying through the air, tumbling out of the river and onto the Mexican shore. Whilst he was on his back, flailing and off-balance, Carter leapt, raising his sword, which was now glowing in his hands.

“No!” The Doctor shouted, but it was too late. Carter drove the blade into the monster’s stomach. The crocodile thrashed as he slowly disintegrated into dust. The Doctor glared at Carter. “You didn’t have to kill him.”

But Carter’s eyes were no longer on the Doctor, they were staring down the river at where Bast was dropping beneath her crocodile, raking her knives across his throat.

But the damage had already been done: Sadie lay in a crumpled heap on the riverbank.

Pressing through the pain in his ankle, the Doctor limped over to the girl. By the time he reached her, Khufu, Bast, and Carter were all already at her side. 

Blood trickled from Sadie’s scalp and her face was a nasty shade of yellow.

“What happened?” The Doctor demanded immediately.

“It came out of nowhere,” Bast said miserably. “Its tail hit Sadie and sent her flying. She never had a chance.”

Khufu had a hand on Sadie’s forehead.  _ “The girl will live. But we must go!” _

The Doctor gave a grim nod.

“Khufu is right,” Bast said, “We have to get out of here. Those crocodiles could mean…”

Her voice trailed off. In the middle of the river, the water was boiling. Rising from it was a horrible figure.

“Could mean that,” Bast said grimly.

The figure was at least six meters tall. His chest and arms appeared human, but he had light green skin, and his waist was wrapped in a green armoured kilt-like reptile hide. He had the head of a crocodile, a massive mouth filled with white crooked teeth, and eyes that glistened with green mucus. His black hair hung in plaits down to his shoulders, and bull’s horns curved from his head. Not to mention, oily water poured off him in torrents and pooled in the river.

He raised his staff – a length of green wood as big as a telephone pole.

Bast yelled, “Move!” And pulled Carter back as the man smashed a trench a meter and a half deep in the riverbank, right where the boy’d been standing moments before.

The man bellowed: “Horus!”

Carter seemed to have a conflicted internal conversation with Horus before swallowing back his fear and yelling, “Sobek! You, uh, weakling! How the heck are ya?”

The man bared his teeth. “That form does not serve you, falcon god,” he said. “I will snap you in half.”

Bast slipped her knives down from her sleeves. “Don’t let him grasp you,” She warned.

“Already got the memo,” Carter informed her, tapping the side of his head. “Sobek, god of…I’m guessing crocodiles!” Carter said, “Leave us in peace or we’ll destroy you!”

Sobek roared with laughter. “Your sense of humour has improved, Horus. You and your kitty will destroy me?” He turned his mucus-filmed eyes on Bast. “What brings you to my realm, cat goddess? I thought you didn’t like the water!”

On the last word, he aimed his staff and shot forth a torrent of green water, but Bast was too quick. She jumped and came down behind Sobek with her avatar fully formed – a massive, glowing cat-headed warrior. “Traitor!” Bast yelled. “Why do you side with chaos? Your duty is to the king!”

“What king?” Sobek roared. “Ra? Ra is gone. Osiris is dead again, the weakling! And this boy child cannot restore the empire. There was a time I supported Horus, yes. But he has no strength in this form. He has no followers. Set offers power…Set offers fresh meat. I think I will start with godling flesh!”

Sobek turned on Carter and swung his staff. The boy rolled away from his strike, but the god’s free hand shot out and grabbed him around the waist. Bast tensed, preparing to launch herself at the enemy, but before she could, Sobek dropped his staff, grasped Carter with both massive hands, and dragged him beneath the water.

“Carter!” The Doctor sprinted for the water. He could hear Bast’s protests behind him, but they were soon muffled as his head descended beneath the murky waves.

The water was cold and thick, tinting everything a foul green. He could faintly see Carter in the distance, flailing at the base of the river. Pushing himself to the river floor, the Doctor launched himself forwards, reaching Carter’s side. He gave the boy a closed-mouth grin, as Carter’s eyes looked up at him frantically. Right. Human lungs and all that. Pathetic.

Without wasting another moment, the Doctor propelled himself upwards, slamming his body into the side of Sobek’s head.

In his moment of shock, the god’s grip loosened, which gave Carter all he needed to escape. With a final flex of his arms, Carter summoned the avatar of the hawk warrior and was immediately encased in a glowing golden form just as large as Sobek.

Sobek’s eyes widened in surprise as Carter head-butted him, grabbed the Doctor, and shot out of the water, landing on the riverbank right next to Bast, who was so startled she nearly slashed him.

“Thank Ra!” She exclaimed.

“Yeah, we’re alive.”

“No, I almost jumped in after you two.” Bast said, “I hate water!”

Just then, Sobek exploded out of the river, roaring in rage. Green blood oozed from one of his nostrils.

“You cannot defeat me!” He held out his arms, which were raining perspiration. “I am lord of the water! My sweat creates the rivers of the world!”

“Remind me not to swim in rivers anymore.” Carter murmured to the Doctor.

Sobek charged, and he brought the river with him. A massive wave smashed into Carter, knocking him to the ground, and shoving the Doctor a couple meters away. Bast, on the other hand, managed to jump, and came down on Sobek’s back in full avatar form. He tried to grab her without any luck. She slashed repeatedly at his arms, back, and neck, but his green skin seemed to heal as quickly as she could cut him.

“Sobek!” The Doctor shouted as he returned to the river’s edge. “We can make a deal! There must be something you want! We don’t have to fight!”

But Sobek seemed disinterested in the Doctor’s proposal, instead blasting him with another wave of water and sending him flying across the riverbank, tumbling through the reeds.

“More minions!” The god shouted, “Come to me!”

That wasn’t good.

Sobek’s fist smashed into Bast, and she went flying again. This time when she hit the ground, her avatar flickered off completely.

Carter charged, clearly trying to draw Sobek’s attention. Which unfortunately worked, as Sobek turned and blasted Carter with water as well, sending him across the river and crashing into the Doctor, his avatar collapsing as he hit the ground.

Sadie and Khufu were right beside them, Sadie still unconscious and bleeding, Khufu desperately murmuring and stroking her forehead.

Sobek stepped out of the water and grinned in their direction. Far downstream in the dim evening light, about half a kilometer away, the Doctor could see two wake lines in the river coming towards them. Fast. Sobek’s reinforcements.

From the river, Bast yelled, “Hurry! Get Sadie out of here!”

Her face went pale with strain, and her cat warrior avatar appeared around her once more, but it was weak.

“We can’t leave you!” The Doctor shouted back.

“Go!” Bast yelled, “And tell Julius I kept my promise!”

“No!”

Bast leapt at Sobek. The two grappled – Bast slashing furiously across his face whilst Sobek howled in pain. The two gods toppled into the water, and down they went.

The Doctor ran to the riverbank, Carter right behind. The water bubbled and frothed. Then a green explosion lit the entire length of the Rio Grande, and a small black and gold creature shot out of the river as though tossed. It landed at the TIme Lord’s feet – a wet, unconscious, half-dead cat.

The Doctor gingerly picked up the feline.

“Bast?” Carter asked.

Muffin was indeed wearing Bast’s collar, but as they watched, the talisman of the goddess crumbled to dust.

“Not anymore, I don’t think.” The Doctor admitted.

The Doctor retrieved his trenchcoat from Khufu and carefully wrapped Muffin in it to keep her dry before handing her to Carter. Carter cradled her against his chest, tears in his eyes.

The Doctor watched the wake lines approaching. They were close enough that the Doctor could see the creatures’ green backs and cold eyes.

“We’ve got to go –” The Doctor turned around, only to see that standing right behind Khufu and Sadie, was a different crocodile. A pure white crocodile.

“Philip!” The Doctor grinned.

The crocodile lunged past the Doctor at the two massive green ones.

“Yes,” Philip confirmed.

“Philip will keep Sobek’s minions busy, but not for long.” A voice said. The Doctor spun around once more only to see Amos kneeling beside Sadie, frowning as he examined her head wound. “Follow me now, and we have a slim chance of surviving!”


	28. Delivering a Letter

They were already settled down for the night by the time Sadie came to. Her eyes opened groggily and she looked around.

“Amos?”

“Rest, child.” Amos insisted from the fire, “You had quite a concussion.”

“Yeah, I can believe that bit.” Sadie grumbled.

They had travelled until the sun went down, but eventually they decided to set up camp and get some rest. The Doctor was perched silently beside Sadie, resting a cool cloth upon her forehead.

Amos was stirring a pot by the fire in his blue suit with matching coat and fedora. His long hair was neatly braided, and his round glasses glinted in the sun. He appeared…rested. Fresh. Not at all like someone who’d been a prisoner of Set. Zia’s words echoed in the Doctor’s head,  _ “Don’t trust Amos.”  _ Why had she said that? What did she know?

Carter seemed to be thinking the same thing, watching tensely from atop a sand dune, Muffin on his lap.

“So, now that we’re all awake,” The Doctor said, rising from his position beside Sadie, “How ‘bout you tell us how you got away from Set?”

Amos’s expression darkened, and as his eyes landed on the Doctor, sensing his skepticism, he looked somewhat irritated.

“I was a fool to go looking for him.” Amos admitted. “I had no idea how powerful he’d become. His spirit is tied to the red pyramid.”

“So…He doesn’t have a human host?” Sadie asked.

Amos shook his head. “He doesn’t need one as long as he has the pyramid. As it gets closer to completion, he gets stronger and stronger. I sneaked into his lair under the mountain and walked right into a trap. I’m ashamed to say he took me without a fight.”

He gestured to his suit, showing off how perfectly fine he was. “Not a scratch. Just – bam. I was a frozen statue. Set stood me outside his pyramid like a trophy and let his demons laugh and mock me as they passed by.”

“Did you see Dad?” Sadie asked eagerly.

Amos’s shoulders slumped. “I heard the demons talking. The coffin is inside the pyramid. They’re planning to use Osiris’s power to augment the storm. When Set unleashes it at sunrise – and it will be quite an explosion – Osiris and your father will be obliterated. Osiris will be exiled so deep into the Duat he may never rise again.”

“How’d you get away, then?” The Doctor asked casually, beginning to pace. “If he’s so powerful…”

“The magic that froze me eventually began to weaken. I concentrated my energy and worked my way out of the binding. It took many hours, but finally I broke free. I sneaked out at midday, when the demons were sleeping. It was much too easy.”

“It doesn’t sound easy,” Sadie said.

“No…No…It definitely was…” The Doctor halted his pacing. “He let you go.”

“He allowed me to escape,” Amos agreed. “I don’t know why, but I shouldn’t be alive. It’s a trick of some sort. I’m afraid…” He hesitated, then seemed to change his mind. “At any rate, my first thought was to find you, so I summoned my boat.” He gestured behind him to where Amos’s boat was beached on a fine white dune. “There’s a supply locker aboard if you’d like fresh clothes.”

“But where are we?” Sadie asked.

“White Sands, New Mexico.” The Doctor informed her.

“It’s a government range for testing missiles.” Carter spoke up. “Amos said no one would look for us here, so we have you some time to heal. It’s about seven in the evening –”

“Six fifty-two.” The Doctor corrected.

“About seven,” Carter repeated irritably, “and still the twenty-eight. Twelve hours or so until Set…you know.”

“But…” Sadie looked around desperately.

“We were attacked.” Carter said miserably, sensing his sister’s questions. “Sadie, we’ve got some bad news.”

Carter explained what had happened. As he did so, Sadie closed her eyes and began to silently weep. Carter came over and placed Muffin in his sister’s hands. Sadie clutched the feline close as she cried.

“She’ll come back, won’t she?” Sadie asked finally. “I mean, she’s immortal, isn’t she?”

“Sadie…She can’t die per se,” The Doctor explained, “But in taking Sobek back to the Duat, she’s been forced back there as well. And since she seperated herself from Muffin…”

“It would be very difficult for Bast to come back.” Amos said. “Perhaps some day, in a few hundred years –”

“No, not a few hundred years! I can’t –” Sadie’s voice broke.

Carter put a hand on Sadie’s shoulder. They sat in silence for a long moment.

“Rest now,” Amos finally said. “We can spare another hour, but then we’ll have to get moving.”

Khufu offered Sadie a bowl of a chunky brown liquid.

Sadie looked at the Doctor skeptically.

“It’s a sleeping draught,” The Doctor explained simply.

Sadie nodded reluctantly, and sipped the brew, making a face at the foul medicine.

Her eyes began to get heavy, she looked at the Doctor, her hand out to him, “Will you?”

The Doctor smiled down at her. “‘Course.”

He joined her as she descended into sleep.

This time, Sadie’s ba was not that of winged poultry, but of a human form. But it grew and grew until it towered above White Sands, the Doctor’s tiny form perched on her shoulders.

To the south, past kilometers of desert, steam rose from the Rio Grande. To the north, even further away, there was the distant red glow.

“The aura of Set…” The Doctor murmured to Sadie. “His power is growing.”

“This is how gods see things.” A voice said as Sadie marveled at her surroundings.

Before them, the dunes shifted. An entire dune rolled sideways like a wave. Then another moved, then another. The dunes suddenly took form of an enormous man lying in the fetal position. He got up, shaking white sand everywhere.

Sadie knelt down and cupped her hands around the tiny camp below them where Amos, Khufu, Carter, and the physical forms of Sadie and the Doctor were resting, to keep them from being buried.

The man rose to his full height – about a head taller than Sadie’s massive form. His body was made of sand that curtained off his arms and chest like waterfalls. The sand shifted across his face until he formed a vague smile.

“Sadie Kane,” He said. “I have been waiting for you.”

“Geb,” The Doctor said, pulling the envelope from his trenchcoat. He handed it to Sadie, who passed it along to the man.

“Your wife misses you,” Sadie said as she handed it over.

Geb took the note gingerly. He held it to his face and seemed to sniff it. Then he opened the envelope, and instead of a letter, a string of fireworks burst out and a new constellation blazed in the evening sky above them – the face of Nut, formed by a thousand stars. The wind rose quickly and ripped the image apart, but Geb sighed contentedly. He closed the envelope and tucked it inside his sandy chest where a human heart would be.

“I owe you thanks,” Geb said. “It has been many millennia since I saw the face of my beloved. Ask me a favour that the earth can grant, and it shall be yours.”

“Save my father,” Sadie said immediately.

Geb’s face rippled with surprise. “Hmm, what a loyal daughter! Isis could learn a thing from you. Alas, I cannot. Your father’s path is twined with that of Osiris, and matters between the gods cannot be solved by the earth.”

Saide sighed. “Then I don’t suppose you could collapse Set’s mountain and destroy his pyramid?”

Geb’s laughter sent sand careening off of him. “I cannot intervene so directly between my children. Set is my son too.”

Sadie was clearly beginning to get frustrated. “Well, your favours aren’t very useful, then.”

Geb shrugged, sloughing off a few tons of sand from his shoulders.

“Could you give us any advice, then?” The Doctor asked, “A few helpful tidbits?”

Geb smiled, “That, I can, Time Lord.”

“Wait, you know him too?” Sadie asked.

“Nut would speak of him, much back when…” He sighed sadly. “But as for your advice, I can only tell you to go to the place of the crosses.”

“Where’s that?” Sadie asked.

“Close,” Geb promised. “And Sadie Kane, you are right. You have lost too much, all three of you have. I know what that is like. Just remember, a parent would do anything to save his children. I have up my happiness, my wife – I took on the curse of Ra so that my children could be born.” He looked up at the sky wistfully. “And while I miss my beloved more each millennium, I know neither of use would change our choice. I had five children whom I love.”

“Even Set?” Sadie asked incredulously. “He’s about to destroy millions of people.”

“Set is more than he appears." Geb said. "He is our flesh and blood.”

“Not mine.” Sadie grumbled.

“No?” Geb shifted, lowering himself and melting back into the dunes. “Think on it, Sadie Kane, and proceed with care. Danger awaits you at the place of crosses, but you will also find what you need most.”

Sadie rolled her eyes. “Could you be a little more vague?”

But Geb was gone, leaving only sand dunes in his wake. Sadie’s ba began to sink back into her body, and the Doctor felt himself fading back into the waking world.

The Doctor retracted himself from Sadie’s mind. He looked over at her as she woke. She suddenly stared at him as if realizing something for the first time. 

“What did Geb mean when he said the three of us have lost too much?”

The Doctor hesitated.

“Doctor,” Sadie asked quietly, “What have you lost?”

“Everything.”


	29. An Interrupted Meeting

“Good, you’re up,” Amos said, interrupting Sadie and the Doctor.

The Doctor, relieved for the excuse, jumped to his feet, “Yep, we heading out?”

Amos nodded in affirmation. Carter was standing on the deck of the boat, pulling on a new linen coat from Amos’s supply locker. Khufu loped over towards them and purred a summon to Muffin. Muffin obliged and leapt into the baboon’s arms.

“I’ve asked Khufu to take the cat back to Brooklyn,” Amos said. “This is no place for her.”

Khufu grunted a few unpleasant words, indicating that he was not particularly happy with this assignment.

“I know, my old friend,” Amos said. His voice had a hard edge, asserting himself as the alpha.

Khufu grunted another few words before a mutter of affirmation that he would, indeed do as he was told.

There was a level of unease in seeing the baboon go. The Doctor still wasn’t all that sure if he could trust Amos yet…And to send Khufu away…

“And he’ll be safe, then?” The Doctor asked skeptically, “Traveling back to Brooklyn?”

“Oh, yes,” Amos promised. “Khufu – and all baboons – have their own brand of magic. He’ll be fine. And just in case…”

He brought out a wax figurine of a crocodile. “This will help if the need arises.”

Sadie coughed. “A crocodile? After what we just –”

“It’s Philip of Macedonia,” Amos explained.

Sadie stared at him, “Philip is wax?”

“Of course,” Amos said. “Real crocodiles are much too difficult to keep. And I did tell you he’s magic.”

Amos tossed the figurine to Khufu, who sniffed it, then stuffed it into a pouch with his cooking supplies.

“That true, then?” The Doctor asked Khufu. “You’ll be all right, won’t you?”

_ “Yes. I can stay safe.”  _ Khufu promised. He glanced nervously at Amos.  _ “Smells weird. Something’s not right.” _

_ “I thought as much.”  _ The Doctor murmured back in baboon.  _ “Weird how?” _

_ “Don’t know,”  _ Khufu admitted.  _ “Just…Not right.”  _

The Doctor nodded. “Stay safe, then.”

_ “Keep the children safe.”  _ Khufu insisted.

The Doctor smiled reassuringly at him, “I will. Promise.”

Khufu gave the Doctor one last look, glanced at the children, then fearfully at Amos. He then ambled over the dune with his back in one arm and Muffin in the other.

It didn’t escape him that Amos was watching him carefully, as if trying to figure out what the Time Lord had said to the baboon and whether or not it affected him.

Once he noticed the Doctor’s eyes on him, Amos immediately turned away from the Doctor and clapped his hands together. “Now, then,” He said. “From what Carter has told me, Set means to unleash his destruction tomorrow at sunrise. That gives us very little time. What Carter would not explain is how you plan to destroy Set.”

The Doctor glanced at Carter, who was sending warning eyes over towards the Doctor and his sister. Clearly the two of them shared the Doctor’s concerns with Amos.

“Oh, I think it’s best we keep that to ourselves, don’t you?” The Doctor asked, daring Amos to argue. “Wouldn’t want any godly ears listening, would we?”

“What the Doctor means,” Saide said quickly, elbowing the Doctor, “Is that you said it yourself, Set let you out too easy. What if he’s attached a magic listening device to you or something?”

Amos’s jaw tightened. “You’re right,” he said grudgingly. “I can’t trust myself. It’s just…so frustrating.”

He sounded truly anguished, prompting a beat of sympathy from the Time Lord’s hearts. Shaking it off, he cleared his throat. “To Phoenix, then, I should think.”

“We should stop in Las Cruces.” Carter suddenly said.

The Doctor looked cautiously at the boy. “You sure?”

Carter nodded determinedly.

“That’s near here,” Amos said slowly. “But…” He picked up a handful of sand, murmured a spell, and threw the sand into the air. Instead of scattering, the grains floated and formed a wavering arrow, pointing southwest towards a line of rugged mountains that made a dark silhouette against the horizon.”

“As I thought,” Amos said, and the sand fell to the earth. “Las Cruces is out of our way by forty miles – over those mountains. Phoenix is northwest.”

“You could’ve just asked me,” The Doctor said, “I’ve got a brilliant sense of direction.”

Annabeth’s voice in the back of his head reminded him of that time he’d led them into the forest and they’d been lost for a week. A smile graced his lips, then slipped off just as quick as it had come.

“Forty miles isn’t so bad,” Sadie said, rolling her eyes and ignoring the Doctor. “Las Cruces…Carter, why there?”

“I just…” He looked uncomfortably towards the Doctor, “I mean, the Doctor thought…I sort of had this vision…”

“A vision of loveliness?” Sadie ventured.

Carter looked like he wanted to bury his head in the sand, which clearly confirmed Sadie’s suspicions.

“I think we should go,” The Doctor said, though he couldn’t keep the amused look from his face.

“Too risky,” Amos said. “I can’t allow it with the House of Life on your trail. We should stay in the wilderness, away from cities.”

Suddenly, a look of realization crossed Sadie’s face. “No, Carter’s right,” She said. “We have to go there.”

Carter looked shocked. “I am? We do?”

“Yes.” Sadie said firmly, looking towards the Doctor, “Las Cruces, it’s Spanish, isn’t it?”

“The crosses…” The Doctor translated, “Oh, you’re  _ brilliant,  _ Sadie!”

“Wait, what?” Carter asked.

Sadie quickly explained to Carter and Amos her dream about Geb.

“We  _ need  _ to go.” Sadie reaffirmed, as she finished.

Amos looked reluctant, but either he agreed or he saw no other way out, so he gave a nod. “Get in the boat.”

“A bit short on water for a boat ride, aren’t we?” Sadie asked as they were led on board.

Amos took off his coat and uttered a magic word. Immediately, the coat came to life, drifted to the stern and grasped the tiller. He smiled at the girl, a familiar twinkle in his eyes, “Who needs water?” The boat shuddered and lifted into the sky.

The mountains rose, illuminated only by the stars that danced in the sky. The dry wind smelled of sage and pine as Las Cruces spread out in the valley below – a glowing patchwork of streets and neighborhoods.

Sadie stared below them in awe. “Is that what the planet looks like from space?”

“Sort of,” The Doctor smiled.

“It must be  _ amazing. _ ”

“It is.”

“And you’ll show me, will you?” Sadie asked.

“‘Course I will,” The Doctor smiled at her, “Why wouldn’t I?”

There was a flash of something unidentifiable that slipped across Sadie’s face. She shrugged and returned her gaze to the view.

“Won’t they notice a flying boat?” Sadie asked as they got close. “I mean, I know magic is hard to see, but –”

“This is New Mexico,” Amos said. “They see UFOs here all the time.”

Sadie looked over at the Doctor. “I assume those are your fault?”

“What?” The Doctor said innocently. “Those are  _ rarely  _ my fault.”

Sadie raised an eyebrow.

“It’s okay, maybe they were a little my fault.”

Sadie sighed. “All of them?”

“How is it my fault you lot keep getting invaded?” The Doctor complained.

They suddenly landed on the roof of a small church. The Doctor examined their surroundings. The town square was lined with stucco buildings. The streets were brightly lit and crowded with stall vendors selling strings of red papers, blankets, and other curiosities. An old stagecoach was parked beside a clump of cacti. In the plaza’s bandstand, men with large guitars and loud voices were playing mariachi music.

“This is a historic area,” Amos said.

“They call it the Mesilla,” The Doctor nodded.

“Have a lot of Egyptain stuff here, do they?” Sadie asked dubiously.

“The ancient cultures of Mexico have  _ loads  _ in common with Egypt,” The Doctor grinned, “I mean, the architecture alone –”

“But I think that’s a talk for another day,” Amos said, retrieving his coat from the tiller.

“Thank god,” Sadie muttered to her brother, prompting the Doctor to stick his tongue out at them.

Sadie smirked and inhaled the scent of baked bread and melting butter. “I – am – starving.”

It didn’t take long, walking the plaza, to discover handmade tortillas. A large woman in a white dress rolled out the balls of dough in her flour-caked hands, flattened, and baked the tortillas on a hot skillet, then handed them to the group on paper napkins.

“I learned to make these once,” The Doctor hummed as he ate, “Sometime in the 1300s, I think. Used them as a peace treaty when a pod of Graske invaded.”

Sadie rolled her eyes before turning to Carter, “You know, I think he makes half this stuff up.”

Once they’d eaten their fill, the four of them began wandering the streets, searching for…something. Time was wasting and the sun was sinking in the sky.

The Doctor was scanning the plaza for anything out of place, when Sadie suddenly grabbed her brother. “Carter, someone’s here to see you.”

The Doctor turned to the direction Sadie was pointing Carter to. There was Zia, ready for battle in her loose black linen clothes, staff, and wand in hand. Her dark choppy hair was blown to one side like she’d just flown over on a strong wind. Her amber eyes were not friendly, though. They were cold and serious.

“You came,” Zia said. The Doctor noticed that she, too, seemed to be looking at Amos with apprehension and…Fear?

“Yeah,” Carter said nervously. “You, uh, remember Sadie and the Doctor. And this is –”

“Amos,” Zia said uneasily.

Amos bowed. “Zia Rashid, it’s been several years. I see Iskandar sent his best.”

Zia looked down as if he’d smacked her in the face.

“Um, Amos,” Sadie said, “Iskandar is dead.”

Right. Amos hadn’t heard the news. He stared at the children in disbelief.

“I see,” he said at last. “Then the new Chief Lector is –”

“Desjardins,” The Doctor said.

“Ah. Bad news.”

Zia frowned. Instead of addressing Amos, she turned to Carter. “Do not dismiss Desjardins. He is very powerful. You’ll need his help – our help – to challenge Set.”

“Has it ever occurred to you,” Sadie said coldly, “That Desjardins might be helping Set?”

Zia glared at Sadie. “Never. Others might. But not Desjardins.”

Clearly she meant Amos. Sadie knew this too.

“You’re blind,” She said, “Desjardins’ first order as Chief Lector was to have us killed. He’s trying to stop us, even though he knows Set is about to destroy the continent. And Desjardins was there that night at the British Museum. If Set needed a body –”

The top of Zia’s staff burst into flame.

“Right,” The Doctor said, calmly stepping between the two girls. “You’re suspicious of Desjardins, and you’re suspicious of Amos. Brilliant, we’re all on the same level. We’re all just here to talk.”

“I am talking.” Zia snapped. “You need the House of Life on your side. You have to convince Desjardins you’re not a threat.”

“By surrendering?” Sadie demanded. “No, thank you. I’d rather not be turned into a bug and squashed.”

Amos cleared his throat. “I’m afraid Sadie is right. Unless Desjardins has changed since I last saw him, he is not a man who will listen to reason.”

“Brilliant,” The Doctor said, “I deal with people like that all the time. I think we should talk to him. If we can get him to help –”

“Sure,” Sadie said, “But if he doesn’t want to, he’ll kill us!”

Zia fumed, “Doctor, Carter, could we speak in private?”

Carter shifted from foot to foot. “Look, I – I agree we need to work together. But if you’re to try to convince me to surrender to the House –”

“There’s something I must tell you,” Zia insisted. “Something you need to know.”

Suddenly, Amos tensed. He pulled his staff from thin air and said, “It’s a trap.”

Zia looked stunned. “What? No!”

Then, marching from the east, at the end of the plaza, the Doctor could see Desjardins himself in cream-coloured robes with the Chief Lector’s leopard-skin cape tied across his shoulders. His staff glowed purple. Tourists and pedestrians veered out of his way, confused and nervous, as if they weren’t sure what was going on, but they knew enough to clear off.

“Other way,” Sadie urged.

In the other direction, two more magicians in black robes marched in from the west.

“You set us up,” The Doctor realized.

“No! I swear –” Zia’s face suddenly fell. “Mel. Mel must’ve told him.”

“Right,” Sadie grumbled. “Blame Mel.”

“No time for explanations,” Amos said, and he blasted Zia with a bolt of lightning. She crashed into the souvenir table.

“You didn’t have to do that!” The Doctor cried.

“She’s the enemy,” Amos said. “And we have enough enemies.”

The Doctor and Carter hurried to Zia’s side whilst more pedestrians panicked and scattered for the edges of the square.

“Sadie, Carter,” Amos said, “If things go bad, get to the boat and flee.”

“Amos, we’re not leaving you,” Sadie cried.

“You’re more important,” he was insisting. “I can hold off Desjardins for – Look out!”

The Doctor glanced back to see Amos spinning his staff towards the two magicians in black. They’d been muttering spells, but Amos’s gust of wind swept them off their feet, sending them swirling out of control at the center of the gust.

Zia had opened her eyes at this point, and she was clutching onto the Time Lord whilst Carter hovered over, not quite sure what to do.

On the other side of the plaza, Desjardins roared in anger: “Kane!” The Chief Lector slammed his staff into the ground. A crack opened in the pavement and began snaking towards Sadie and Amos. As the crevice grew wider, the building trembled. Stucco flaked off the walls.

Before the Doctor could even get his Sonic out, Sadie raised her wand. “Hah-ri!”

Hieroglyphs blazed to life before her and a fissure stopped just short of her feet. The earthquake died.

Amos sucked in a breath. “Sadie, how did you –”

“Divine Words, Kane!” Desjardins stepped forth, his face livid. “The child dares speak the Divine Words. She is corrupted by Isis, and you are guilty of assisting the gods.”

“Help me up,” Zia insisted from her position on the ground.

“No, I’ll take care of this,” The Doctor insisted.

_ “Help me up.” _

The Doctor looked skeptical, but assisted the girl to her feet.

“– we must stop Set.” Amos was saying, “If you’re wise –”

“I would what?” Desjardins demanded. “Join you? Collaborate? The gods bring nothing but destruction.”

“No!” Zia shouted. “Master, we can’t fight each other. That’s not what Iskandar wanted.”

“Iskandar is dead!” Desjardins bellowed. “Now, step away from them, Zia, or be destroyed with them.”

Zia looked at Carter, then back at Desjardins, her jaw set. “No. We must work together.”

Sadie regarded Zia, a newfound respect evident. “You really didn’t lead him here?”

“I do not lie.” She said.

Desjardins raised his staff and huge cracks appeared in the buildings around him. Chunks of cement and adobe brick flew at them. Amos summoned the wind and deflected them.

“Right, you lot need to get out of here,” The Doctor shouted above the wind, “I’ll stay here and try to talk to Desjardins!”

“He’ll kill you!” Sadie argued.

“Where are we supposed to go?” Zia asked, “We can’t make a portal –”

“We’ve got a flying boat,” Carter offered.

Zia nodded appreciatively, “Where?”

The Doctor gestured towards the church, but Desjardins was between it and them.

The Chief Lector hurled another volley of stones. Amos deflected them with wind and lightning.

“Storm magic!” Desjardins sneered. “Since when is Amos Kane an expert in the powers of chaos? Do you see this, children? How can he be your protector?”

“Shut up,” Amos growled, and with a sweep of his staff he raised a sandstorm so massive that it blanketed the entire square.

“Run.” The Doctor said.

The four children bolted, making a wide arc around Desjardins, then ran blindly towards the church. The sandstorm bit into their skin and stung their eyes, but the Doctor managed to lead them towards the stairs, climbing up to the roof. The wind subsided, and across the plaza, the Doctor could see Desjardins and Amos still facing each other, encased in shields of force. Amos was staggering; the effort was clearly taking a toll on him.

“I have to help,” Zia said reluctantly, “or Desjardins will kill Amos.”

“I thought you didn’t trust Amos,” Carter said.

“I don’t, but if Desjardins wins this duel, we’re all dead. We’ll never escape.”

Zia clenched her teeth, held out her staff, and murmured an incantation. The air warmed and the staff glowed. She released it and it burst into flame, growing into a column of fire a full meter thick and four meters tall.

“Hunt Desjardins,” She intoned.

Immediately, the fiery column floated off the roof and began moving slowly but deliberately towards the Chief Lector.

Zia crumpled. The Doctor lunged out and managed to catch her just before her head hit the ground.

Desjardins looked up. When he saw the fire, his eyes widened with fear. “Zia!” he cursed. “You dare attack me?”

The column descended, passing through the branches of a tree and burning a hole straight through them. It landed in the street and hovered just a few centimeters above the pavement, the heat so intense that it scorched the concrete curb and melted the tarmac. The fire came to a parked car, and instead of going around, it burned its way directly through the metal chassis, sawing the car cleanly in two.

“Good!” Amos yelled from the street. “Well done, Zia!”

In desperation, Desjardins staggered to his left. THe column adjusted course. He blasted it with water, but the liquid evaporated into steam. He summoned boulders, but they just passed through the fire and dropped into melted, smoking lumps on the opposite side.

“What is that thing?” Sadie asked.

She got no response. Zia was unconscious.

“She’ll be all right,” The Doctor decided after examining her, “But we need to get out of here.”

“Amos!” Sadie shouted down to the plaza, “Come on! We’ve got to go!”

Desjardins kept backing up. He was very clearly scared of the fire, but wasn’t quite done with the fight. 

“You will be sorry for this! You wish to play gods? Then you leave me no choice.”

Out of the Duat, he pulled a cluster of seven arrows.

Amos looked at them in horror. “You wouldn’t! No Chief Lector would ever –”

“I summon Sekhmet!” Desjardins bellowed. He threw the arrows into the air and they began to twirl, orbiting Amos.

Desjardins allowed himself a satisfied smile. He looked directly up at the children. “You choose to place your faith in the gods?” He called. “Then die by the hands of a god.”

He turned and ran. The pillar of fire picked up speed as it followed.

“Children, get out of here!” Amos yelled, encircled by the arrows. “I’ll try to distract her!”

“Who?” Sadie demanded. “Which one is Sekhmet?”

“We need to go.” The Doctor realized. “We need to go, now.”


	30. Sekhmet Turns a Car Park to Sand

As it turned out, steering a magic boat was not as easy as one might think.

“I thought you said you knew what you were doing!” Sadie shouted over the wind whilst she and Carter tried their best to keep an unconscious Zia from falling off the side.

“Yes, I did!” The Doctor shouted back.

“And?”

“I lied!”

Behind them, something was approaching – a blazing humanoid figure that illuminated the night.

“Happy birthday!” Carter suddenly shouted, “Now, shut up!”

“Carter, what are you on about?” Sadie screamed, grabbing the railing, “Have you lost your mind?”

“No, I was talking to – Oh, forget it.”

Ah, yes. It was Horus’s birthday. That was not a particularly good thing.

“So Sekhmet,” Sadie called, “Who is she?”

“She’s goddess of war, destruction, vengeance, healing, and plague!” The Doctor responded, “Right now she doesn’t seem to be feeling very heal-y!”

“Horus says the Chief Lector has the power to summon her once during his lifetime,” Carter reported.

“His whole life and he chooses now?” Sadie complained.

“Just shows how hypocritical you humans are,” The Doctor grumbled, “It’s all ‘no association with gods’ up until he needs one.”

“How do we beat her?” Carter asked.

“Er, I’m not particularly sure –” The Doctor responded, before Carter yelled,

“Okay, I get it!”

Right. He was talking to Horus.

“What did he say?” Sadie demanded so loud that Zia stirred.

“Wha – what?” Her eyes fluttered open.

“Nothing.” Carter said, “We’re being followed by a slaying machine. Go back to sleep.”

Ah. That’s what Horus had said. This was not good…

Zia sat up woozily. “A slaying machine? You don’t mean –”

The Doctor suddenly veered right as a flaming arrow the size of a predator drone grazed the port side. It exploded above them, setting the roof on the boathouse aflame.

“Couldn’t have made it easier to steer, could you?” The Doctor grumbled. “But no, you’ve got to make it powered by magic. Easy enough for you, isn’t it?”

He steered the boat into a dive as Sekhmet shot past, but then she pirouetted in the air with irritating agility and dove after them.

“We’re burning!” Sadie pointed out.

“Right, real helpful. Wouldn’t have noticed that one with your help!” The Doctor snapped.

He scanned the landscape below, but there was nowhere safe to land – just subdivisions and office parks.

“Die, enemies of Ra!” Sekhmet yelled. “Perish in agony!”

“She’s almost as bad as Nike,” The Doctor complained.

“There!” Zia yelled as the Doctor made another evasive turn.

She was pointing towards a well-lit factory complex with trucks, warehouses, and silos. A massive chili pepper was painted on the side of the biggest warehouse, and a floodlit sign read: magic salsa, inc.

“Oh, please,” Sadie said. “It’s not really magic. That’s just a name.”

“Well, it could be,” The Doctor said hopefully.

“No,” Zia insisted. “I’ve got an idea.”

“Good enough for me.” The Doctor decided.

Another arrow blazed past, only inches from the starboard side.

“Hold on to something!” The Doctor shouted. He yanked the tiller and spun the boat upside down, just before the arrow exploded. The hull shielded them from the brunt of the blast, but the entire bottom of the ship was now aflame. They were going down.

With his last bit of control, the Time Lord aimed the boat towards the roof of the warehouse, and they crashed through.

The Doctor clawed his way clear of the boat and looked around. Fortunately enough, they’d crashed into something soft. Unfortunately, it happened to be a six meter pile of dried chili peppers, and the boat had set them on fire. His eyes began to sting, though he knew better than to rub them,a s his hands were now coated in chili oil.

“Sadie? Carter?” 

“Help!” Sadie yelled. She was on the other side of the boat with Carter, dragging Zia out from under the flaming hull. Between the three of them, they managed to pull the girl free and slide down the pile onto the floor.

The warehouse appeared to be a massive facility for drying peppers, with thirty or forty mountains of chilis and rows of wooden drying racks. The wreckage of the boat filled the air with spicy smoke, and through the hole they’d made in the roof, the Doctor could see the blazing figure of Sekhmet descending.

The Doctor grabbed Sadie and Carter, who dragged Zia with them, through another pile of peppers and behind a drying rack.

Sekhmet landed, and the warehouse floor shuddered. Her skin glowed like liquid gold, and her breastplate and skirt appeared to be woven of tiles made from molten lava. Her hair was thick and her eyes were feline, though they didn’t sparkle like Bast’s, nor betray any kindness or humour. Sekhmet’s eyes blazed with fury – she desired nothing more than to seek and destroy.

“I smell blood!” She roared. “I will feast on enemies of Ra until my belly is full!”

“Charming,” Sadie whispered. “So Zia…this plan?”

Zia wasn’t looking particularly well. She was shivering and pale, and her eyes seemed to struggle to focus. “When Ra…when he first called Sekhmet to punish humans because they were rebelling against him…she got out of hand.”

“She wasn’t satisfied with the blood of the wicked,” The Doctor remembered. “She nearly destroyed all of humanity.”

“You dare hide?” Flames roared as Sekhmet’s arrows destroyed pile after pile of dried peppers. “I will roast you alive!”

“Run now,” Carter said, “Talk later.”

The Doctor didn't argue. The three sprinted, the Doctor and Carter supporting Zia between them. They managed to get out of the warehouse just before the entire place impodded from the heat, billowing a spicy mushroom cloud into the sky. They sprinted through a car park filled with semitrailers and hid behind a sixteen-wheeler.

The Doctor peeked out, expecting to see Sekhmet walk through the flames of the warehouse. Instead, she leapt out in the form of a massive lioness. Her eyes blazed, and floating over her head was a disk of fire.

“The symbol of Ra,” Zia identified.

Sekhmet roared. “Where are you, my tasty morsels?” She opened her maw and breathed a blast of hot air across the car park. Wherever her breath touched, the asphalt melted, cars disintegrated into sand, and the car park turned into barren desert.

“How did she do that?” Sadie hissed.

“Her breath creates the deserts,” The Doctor grumbled.

“That’s the legend.” Zia nodded.

“Better and better.” Carter said as he summoned his sword. “I’ll distract her. You guys run –”

“No.” The Doctor and Zia said in tandem.

“There’s another way,” Zia said, pointing at a row of silos on the other side of the lot.

Each one was three stories tall and about six meters in diameter, with a massive chili pepper painted on the side.

“Petrol tanks?” Sadie asked.

“No,” Carter said. “Must be salsa, right?”

Sadie stared at her brother blankly. “Isn’t that a type of music?”

“Hot sauce,” The Doctor murmured. “It’s what they make here.” Where was Zia going with this?

Sekhmet breathed in their direction, and the three trailers beside them melted to sand. The four children scuttled sideways and jumped behind a cinder block wall.

“Listen,” Zia gasped, her face beading with sweat. “When the people needed to stop Sekhmet, they got huge vats of beer and coloured them bright red with pomegranate juice.”

“They told her it was blood…” The Doctor murmured, “She drank until she passed out. Ra was then able to recall her into the heavens and turned her into Hathor…Zia, you’re brilliant!”

“And Hathor, she’s good, yeah?” Sadie asked.

The Doctor nodded. “She’s the cow goddess of love, beauty, music, and joy,”

“So…you’re saying we offer to buy Sekhmet a few pints, and she’ll turn into a cow?”

“Not exactly,” Zia said, “But salsa is red, is it not?”

They skirted the factory grounds as Sekhmet demolished trucks and blasted huge swaths of the car park to sand.

“Is everyone ready?” Carter murmured as they peaked out from their cover behind a truck. The Doctor gave a mad grin and jumped out, “Oi! Sekhmet! Come get me!”

Sekhmet spun around and sneered, though just before she could turn the Time Lord into a small desert patch, Sadie raised her wand and shouted, “Ha-di!”

The glyphs blazed over Sekhmet’s head, and everything around her exploded. Trucks bust to pieces, the air shimmered with energy. The ground heaved upwards, creating a fifteen meter deep crater into which the lioness tumbled.

It was quite impressive.

Carter then launched into the air towards the salsa tanks.

Sakhmet let out a mighty roar and lept from the crater, breathing desert wind into the spot where the Doctor had stood just a moment ago. He grabbed Sadie and they sprinted, ducking behind trailers.

“Show yourself!” Sekhmet bellowed. “I will feast on your flesh!”

“Sekhmet!” Carter bellowed from the top of the tank.

The lioness whirled around and snarled, attempting to locate the boy’s voice.

“Up here, kitty!”

She spotted the falcon and her ears went back. “Horus?”

“Unless you know another guy with a falcon head.”

She padded back and forth uncertainly, then roared in challenge. “Why do you speak to me when I am in my raging form? You know I must destroy everything in my path, even you!”

“If you must,” Carter said casually, “But first, you might like to feast on the blood of your enemies!”

The falcon gripped his sword betwixt his talons and drove it into the tank, sending salsa gushing out in a chunky red waterfall. He leapt to the next tank and sliced that one as well. Then again, and again until six silofuls of salsa were spewing into the car park.

“Ha, ha!” Sekhmet leapt into the red sauce and rolled around, lapping it up. “Blood. Lovely blood!”

Sekhmet didn’t stop until her belly was bulging and her mouth began to smoke.

“Tangy,” She said, stumbling and blinking. “But my eyes hurt. What kind of blood is this? Nubian? Persian?”

“Jalipeño,” Carter smirked, “Try some more. It gets better.”

The lioness’s ears were smoking too now as she tried to drink more. Her eyes watered and she began to stagger.

“I…” Steam curled out from her maw. “Hot…hot mouth…”

“I hear milk’s pretty good for that,” Sadie said, “Maybe if you were a cow.”

“Trick,” Sekhmet groaned. “You…you tricked…”

But her eyes were too heavy. She turned in a circle and collapsed, curling into a ball. Her form twitched and shimmered as her red armour melted into spots on her golden skin, until the Doctor, Sadie, and Carter were looking at a large sleeping cow.

Carter dropped down from the silo and transformed back into his human form. The sleeping goddess was now snoring, and Zia wearily emerged from behind a trailer. 

“Well, that was certainly interesting.” The Doctor hummed.

“I will never eat salsa again,” Carter decided.

“As wonderfully as you did,” Zia said, “Your boat is burned. How do we get to Phoenix?”

“We?” Sadie said, “I don’t recall inviting you.”

Zia’s face turned almost as red as the salsa that was still smeared across the ground. “Surely you don’t still think I led you into a trap?”

“I don’t know,” Sadie said, “Did you?”

“Sadie,” Carter growled. “How could you still think that? After everything she just did for us!”

“Right,” The Doctor said, “Carter, the fact that Desjardins found us there is somewhat suspicious. Sadie’s right to be cautious. Sadie, you don’t have to trust her, but you  _ must  _ agree she’s at the very least useful.”

Carter looked at the pavement. “Yeah, I know.”

Sadie scowled. “I suppose. But we need to find Amos first.”

“No!” Zia said. “That would be a very bad idea.”

“Oh, so we can trust you, but not Amos?” Sadie snapped.

Part of the Doctor wanted to express his suspicions of Amos to the group, but he couldn’t risk more divide…Right now, there’s no way Sadie wouldn’t trust Amos just to spite Zia, and Carter would obviously take Zia’s side…

“Amos would not want you to wait,” Zia decided, changing her approach. “He said to keep going, didn’t he? If he survived Sekhmet, he will find us on the road. If not…”

Sadie huffed. “So how do we get the Phoenix? Walk?”

Carter gazed across the car park where a sixteen-wheeler was still intact. “Doctor, your Sonic can’t by any chance hotwire a car, can it?”

The Doctor grinned, “Carter, I could kiss you.”

“Please don’t.”


	31. On the Road Again

The Doctor drove himself, Sadie, Carter, and Zia west on I-10 as a bank of dark clouds swallowed the stars. The air smelt heavily of rain and the roads were eerily quiet.

In a particularly lengthy dip in conversation, Zia cleared her throat. “Carter, I’m sorry about…I mean, I wish the circumstances were better.”

“Yeah,” Carter replied. “I guess you’ll get in a lot of trouble with the House.”

“I will be shunned,” Zia admitted. “My staff broken. My name blotted from the books. I’ll be cast into exile, assuming they don’t kill me.”

“They won’t.” The Doctor said. “I’ll make sure of it.”

In the rearview mirror, he could see Zia’s eyebrows raise in a doubtful expression.

“And how do you plan on doing that?”

“Oh, I’ll figure something out,” The Doctor hummed as he adjusted the mirror. “Always do.”

“You could come with us,” Carter suggested.

Zia looked at Carter sadly. “And where would we go? Even if you defeat Set and save this continent, what will you do? The House will hunt you down. The gods will make your life miserable.”

“Well, with the Doctor, I think,” Carter looked towards the Time Lord uncertainly, “Right?”

The Doctor smiled back, “Course, I’d love you to come with me. Gets awful boring all alone, you know.”

Zia gave Carter a confused look. “And…Where is he planning on taking us that the gods can’t find?”

“He’s got a spaceship,” Sadie said, poking her head through the curtain, “Travels through time and space, he says. I still think he’s a loony.”

“She’s called the TARDIS,” The Doctor looked over at Sadie with amusement. “You’d have to be a bit mental to want to come though, wouldn’t you?”

“Touché,” Sadie retreated back behind the curtain.

“Right…” Zia looked warily towards the Doctor. “But Carter, you don’t know me. Not really. I suppose Iskandar saw this coming.”

Carter frowned. “What do you mean?”

“When Desjardins and I came back from the British Museum,” Zia said, “Iskandar spoke to me privately. He said I was in danger. He said he would take me somewhere safe and…” Her eyebrows knit together. “That’s odd. I don’t remember.”

“Don’t remember what?” The Doctor asked. “Did he take you somewhere safe?”

“I…I think so.” She shook her head. “No, he couldn’t have, obviously. I’m still here. Perhaps he didn’t have time. He sent me to find you in New York almost immediately.”

Outside, a light rain had begun to fall. Zia stared into it as if she could see bad omens out in the night.

“We’re running out of time,” She said. “He’s coming back?”

“Who’s coming back?” Carter asked.

“The thing I needed to tell you – the thing you need,” Zia said, “It’s Set’s secret name.”

The storm surged. Thunder crackled and the truck shuddered in the wind. The Doctor glared up at the sky as if to possibly convey a message to Zeus to _shut up._

“H-hold on,” Carter stammered. “How could you know Set’s name? How did you even know we needed it?”

“You stole Desjardins’ book. Desjardins told us about it. He said it didn’t matter. He said you could not use the spell without Set’s secret name, which is impossible to get.”

“So how do you know it?” Carter asked. “Thoth said it could only come from Set himself, or from the person…” His voice trailed off. “Or from the person closest to him.”

Zia shut her eyes as though in pain. “I – I can’t explain it. I just have this voice telling me the name –”

“The fifth goddess,” Carter said. “Nephthys. You were there too at the British Museum.” 

Zia looked completely stunned. “No. That’s impossible.”

“Carter, let’s not jump to conclusions,” The Doctor warned.

“But Iskandar said you were in danger. He wanted to take you somewhere safe. That's what he meant. You’re a godling.”

Zia shook her head stubbornly. “But he didn’t take me away. I’m right here. If I were hosting a god, the other magicians of the House would’ve figured it out days ago. They know me too well. They would’ve noticed the changes in my magic. Desjardins would’ve destroyed me.”

“Unless Set is controlling him,” Carter pointed out.

“Carter,” The Doctor warned again, but Zia blew right past him.

“Carter, are you really so blind? Desjardins is not Set.”

“Because you think it’s Amos,” Carter argued back, “Amos who risked his life to save us, who told us to keep going without him. Besides, Set doesn’t need a human form. He’s using the pyramid.”

“And who told us that?” The Doctor asked calmly.

Carter’s head dipped. “Amos…”

“See,” Zia said, “He _agrees_ with me.”

“I never said that,” The Doctor said. “But Carter, you have to admit, Amos hasn’t been right since he’s returned. Even Khufu agreed –”

“He did?”

“Listen,” Zia said, “I know Set’s secret name. And I can tell you. But you must promise you will not tell Amos.”

“Oh, come on,” Carter said, “Besides, if you know the name, why can’t you just use it yourself?”

Zia shook her head. “I don’t know why…I just know it’s not my role to play. It must be you or Sadie – blood of the pharaohs. If you don’t –”

The Doctor suddenly slammed on the brakes, as out from the storm, about twenty meters ahead of them, stood Amos.

His clothes were in tatters, but he otherwise seemed all right…almost suspiciously so.

Before anyone else could react, Carter burst out of the truck and ran to meet his uncle.

“Amos! What happened?”

“I distracted Sekhmet,” He said, putting a finger through one of the holes in his coat. “For about eleven seconds. I’m glad to see you survived.”

“There was a salsa factory –” Carter began to explain, but Amos held up a hand to silence him.

“Time for explanations later,” He said. “Right now we have to get going.” He pointed northwest to where the storm was worsening. By a lot. A wall of black blotted out the night sky, the mountains, the motorway, as if preparing to swallow the whole planet.

“Set’s storm is gathering,” Amos said, a twinkle in his eyes. “Shall we drive into it?”

Phoenix was dark. Most of the city had shut down. People were evacuating. It was not looking good. It wasn’t long before the GPS system went down.

“I think Sadie’s still sleeping,” Carter admitted as the Doctor pulled into a petrol station. “I can go in and ask for directions.”

“I’ll come too,” Amos decided.

The Doctor watched carefully as the two exited.

“So…” Zia said awkwardly. “You travel through time and space? I mean, when you said it back in the Hall of Ages, I thought you were joking but…”

The Doctor gave an amused smile. “So typical of you, humans. Magic’s no problem, but time travel?” He waved it away.

A look of alarm crossed Zia’s features. “When you say you humans…You’re not – you’re not a god, are you?”

The Doctor scoffed. “No, no. Nothing like that. All gods are is just old, narcissistic humans, albeit, with the power to destroy a continent.

“So, if you’re not a god…” Zia met the Time Lord’s eyes.

A groan suddenly sounded from behind the curtain.

“Morning!” The Doctor chimed.

“What time is it?” Sadie grumbled.

“Half past four in the morning,” It was Zia who responded. “Magic isn’t working very well. The closer we get to the mountain, the worse it is. And the truck’s GPS system is down. Amos and Carter went inside to ask directions.”

“And how long have they been there?”

“Not long,” The Doctor promised.

“But before they get back, I actually want to talk to you.” Zia said.

“About Carter?” Sadie emerged, looking somewhat disheveled. “Well, if you’re wondering whether he likes you, the way he stammers might be an indication.”

Zia frowned. “No, I’m –”

“Asking if I mind? Very considerate. I must say at first I had my doubts, what with you threatening to kill us and all, but I’ve decided you’re not a bad sort, and Carter’s mad about you, so –”

“It’s not about Carter.”

“Oops.” Somehow, Sadie didn’t look all that apologetic.

“It’s about Set”

“Not this again.” Sadie sighed. “Still suspicious of Amos?”

“She’s not the only one,” The Doctor decided to pipe up. “Set’s the manipulative type. He loves deception and traps. It’s a part of the chaos. It adds to the confusion. He wants it to destroy you.”

“And what do you know about Set, then?” Sadie demanded. “This whole time you’ve been defending Set –”

“I’ve not been defending him!”

“You _have_ , though! Why won’t you call him evil? How can you not see him for what he is?”

“I _do_ see him for what he is!” The Doctor snapped. “He’s a creature of chaos, it’s in his nature. He’s not evil. His actions are, but _he_ is not.”

“How do you know that, then?” Sadie demanded. “You’ve never even met him.”

The Doctor hesitated. “I know – _knew_ someone…someone like him.”

“And you…fixed them?”

A broken laugh escaped his lips. “Yeah…something like that.”

A chilling silence filled the truck.

“You need Amos to be all right, Sadie.” Zia broke the silence, though her voice was barely above a whisper. “He’s your uncle. You’ve lost too many members of your family. I understand that. But Set has been known to bend the mind and control the body. If he’s been possessed…”

“We’ve got no choice, though.” Sadie said. “There’s what, three hours till sunrise? Amos knows the best way into the mountain. Trap or no, we have to go there and try to stop Set.”

Zia hesitated for a long moment.

“All right,” She said at last. “I wanted to tell Carter something, but I never got the opportunity. I’ll tell you instead. The last thing you need to stop Set –”

“You can’t possibly know his secret name.”

Zia nodded. “It will work, but I can’t do it, nor can the Doctor. It must be you or Carter.”

“Why not use it yourself?” Sadie demanded. “Because you spent all your magic?”

The Doctor was about to respond for her, but Zia waved away the question. “Just promise me you will use it now, on Amos, before we reach the mountain. It may be your only chance.

“And if you're wrong?” Sadie asked. “We may waste the only chance we have. The book disappears once it’s used, right?”

Grudgingly, Zia nodded. “Once read, the book will dissolve and appear somewhere else in the world. But if you wait any longer, we’re doomed. If Set lures you into his base of power, you’ll never have the strength to confront him. Sade, please –”

“Tell me the name,” Sadie said. “I promise I’ll use it at the right time.”

“Now is the right time.”

But before Sadie could make the choice, the doors opened, and Amos and Carter climbed in with a gust of sand.

“We’re close.” Amos smiled as if this were very good news. “Very, very close."


	32. Within Set's Crimson Walls

Less than a kilometer away from Camelback Mountain, they broke through into a circle of perfect calm. All around the mountain swirled a cylinder of black clouds. Traces of smoke drifted back and forth from Camelback’s peak to the edges of the maelstrom, yet directly above, the sky was clear and starry, just beginning to turn gray as sunrise approached.

“The eye of the storm,” The Doctor murmured, “the quiet in the chaos.”

The streets were empty. Mansions and hotels clustered around the mountain’s base, draped in darkness, but the mountain itself glowed, as if something very red and hot was trying to burn through the rock.

“Nothing’s moving on the streets,” Zia said. “If we try to drive up to the mountain –”

“We’ll be seen,” Sadie agreed.

“What about that spell?” Carter looked at Zia. “You know…the one you used in the First Nome.”

“What spell?” The Doctor frowned.

Zia shook her head. “Carter is referring to an invisibility spell. But I have no magic. And unless you have the proper components, it can’t be done on a whim.”

“Amos?” Sadie suggested.

Amos pondered the question. “No invisibility, I’m afraid. But I have another idea.”

This was a bad idea. Amos wanted to turn them into storm clouds to disguise them. Clever as that might seem, the Doctor was…cautious about chaotic magic. It was not as easy to control as one might think, and the last thing they needed was to get stuck as clouds. He was about to voice this, when Zia beat him to it.

“But this is impossible,” She said. “This is storm magic, chaos magic. We should not –”

Amos raised his wand, and Zia disintegrated, replaced only with a swirl of black dust.

“No!” Carter yelled, but then he too was gone.

“Amos,” But the Doctor’s threat was lost to the wind as his body evaporated – his hands and feet disappeared into the wind, replaced by dust and vapour as the rest of his body followed.

He could do nothing but watch as Amos turned to Sadie.

“Oh, no,” She insisted. “Thanks, but –”

With a wave of his wand, she was a cloud too, so angry that a flash of lightning crackled within her.

“Don’t be that way,” Amos chided. “It’s only for a few minutes. Follow me.” He melted into a heavier, darker bit of storm and raced towards the mountain. 

The Doctor quickly picked up movement – having switched bodies a number of times, you learn how new motor functions work pretty quickly. Though he wasn’t quite able to tell if Carter, Zia, and Sadie were following or not. His vision was no longer that of a Time Lord’s, but of a cloud. There was a vague sense of what was around, but the vision itself was scattered and fuzzy, as if he was watching everything through heavy static.

He followed Amos towards the mountain. He could feel it almost drawing him towards it, glowing with heat, pressure, and turbulence.

As Amos reached a ridge on the side of the mountain, the Doctor was jarringly returned to his human form, appearing right beside Zia and Amos. Behind him, Sadie and Carter dropped from the sky, clearly having taken a bit longer to get situated. 

Sadie hit Carter on her way down, sending them both hitting the ground.

“Ouch,” Carter groaned.

“Sorry,” Sadie was looking a bit nauseous.

Amos and Zia peered into a crevice between two large sandstone boulders.

When Zia turned back, the expression on her face told them the view wasn’t good.

“Only the pyramidion left.”

When the Doctor looked through himself, he found himself looking at the same massive cavern he’d seen in Carter’s dream – the entire mountain had been hollowed out, the floor about six hundred meters below. Fires blazed all around, bathing the rock walls in crimson hues. A massive pyramid dominated the cavern, and at its base, masses of demons milled about as if in anxious anticipation. High above them – about eye-level to the Doctor, Sadie, Amos, Zia, and Carter – two magic barges manned by crews of demons floated slowly, ceremoniously towards the pyramid. Suspended in a mesh of ropes betwixt the boats was the only piece of the pyramid not yet installed – a golden capstone to top off the structure.

“They know they’ve won,” Carter guessed, peeking inside behind him, “They’re making a show of it.”

“Yes,” Amos agreed.

“Well, let’s blow up the boats or something!” Sadie suggested.

Amos looked at her in disbelief. “Is that your strategy, honestly?”

“Right then,” The Doctor took control, glaring at Amos, “We’re going to fly those boats. We stop them from placing the pyramidion, then fly into the pyramid and find your father.”

“And when Set tries to stop you?” Amos asked.

The Doctor didn’t need Zia in the corner of his eye, shaking her head desperately, for him to know not to say anything.

“Eh, we’ll figure it out once we’re there.”

Amos raised an eyebrow. “You don’t have a plan?”

“Course I’ve got a plan. I just haven’t thought of it yet.”

“Right,” Sadie said, “So how do we fly to the boats?”

“As a storm,” Amos suggested.

“No!” Everyone else decided.

“I will not be part of more chaos magic,” Zia insisted. “It is not natural.”

Amos waved at the spectacle below. “Tell me this is natural. You have another plan?”

“Birds,” Sadie said, “I’ll become a kite. Carter can do a falcon.”

“Sadie,” Carter warned, “What if –”

“I have to try.” Sadie said determinedly. “Zia, it’s been almost ten hours since your millar of fire, hasn’t it? Still no magic?”

Zia held out her hand and concentrated. At first, nothing happened. Then red light flickered along her fingers, and her staff appeared in her grip, still smoking.

“Well, that’s good timing,” The Doctor said.

“Also bad timing,” Amos observed. “It means Desjardns is no longer pursued by the pillar of fire. He’ll be here soon, and I’m sure he’ll bring backup. More enemies for us.”

“One fight at a time,” The Doctor sighed. “Zia, stay out of any physical conflict. You’re not strong enough.”

Zia nodded. “I should manage to summon a ride, though.” She brought out her vulture pendant. “I could take a friend too.”

“Brilliant,” The Doctor said, “Amos, you stay here –”

“I can handle myself, thanks,” Amos said. “Let’s meet on the left boat. We’ll take that one out, then deal with the right. And let’s hope for surprise.”

As much as the Doctor didn’t want Amos setting their plans, he still couldn’t find any fault in his logic.

“All right. Finish off the boats quickly, then head into the pyramid. With any luck, we’ll be able to seal off the entrance. And please,” He looked around at the group, ”Try not to kill anyone.”

Sadie and Carter were the first to set off, and to everyone’s relief, Sadie easily turned back into a human as she landed on the prow of the ship.

It was then that Zia’s ‘ride’ arrived. It was a massive vulture, who grabbed the two of them – one in each claw – and made a less-than-stealthy entrance as it soared towards the boat. As they flew, demons below pointed and yelled. Some threw spears that fell short of their mark.

The entrance, however, did manage to distract the remaining demons on Sadie and Carter’s boat, which allowed Amos to appear behind them in the form of a fruit back, quickly returning to human form and slamming the demons, sending them tumbling into the air.

“Hold on!” He shouted. The Doctor and Zia landed just in time for her to catch the tiller, and the Doctor’s longer arms to hook over the gunwale. Sadie and Carter grabbed the sides of the boat as Amos began to chant, pointing his staff towards the other boat, where the demons were just beginning to shout and point at the invaders.

One of them was tall and very thin with black eyes and muscles that looked as though the skin had peeled away.

“That’s Set’s lieutenant,” Carter warned.

“You!” The demon screamed, “Liars! Get them!”

Amos finished his spell. “Smoke,” He intoned.

Immediately, the second boat evaporated into gray mist. The demons fell screaming. The golden capstone plummeted until the lines attached to it from the other side yanked taut, and the boat nearly flipped over. Canted sideways, they began to sink towards the cavern floor.

“Carter, cut the liens!” The Doctor shouted.

He sliced them with his sword and the boat leveled out, rising several meters in an instant, nearly shaking the Doctor off the boat. He winced as the pyramidion crashed to the cavern floor with much crunching and squishing.

“So far so good,” Carter noted, helping Zia, then the Doctor properly onto the boat.

“I wouldn’t be so sure,” The Doctor observed. Down below, forty five or fifty demons with wings were launching themselves towards the boat, filling the air.

“Fly to the pyramid,” Amos said. “I’ll distract the demons.”

“Amos, they’ll kill you,” The Doctor argued, “Let me –”

“Don’t worry about me,” He said grimly. “Seal the entrance behind you.”

He pushed Sadie and Carter over the side, giving them little choice but to return to their bird forms. Zia’s vulture followed suit, scooping the two of them up and leaving Amos behind.

Amos yelled, “For Brooklyn!” As the boat behind them burst into flames and began drifting away from the pyramid and down towards the army of monsters. Fireballs shot from the boat in all directions as pieces of the hull crumbled away.

Zia disengaged the vulture just as they reached the pyramid’s entrance, sending the two of them tumbling in, landing beside Carter and Sadie, both in human form.

But at least a dozen demons were only a few steps ahead, having noticed the escape. They had the heads of insects, dragons, and assorted Swiss Army knife attachments.

Carter thrust out his hand. A large shimmering fist appeared and mimicked his move – pushing right between the Doctor, Sadie, and Zia, he slammed the doors shut. Carter closed his eyes in concentration, and a burning gold symbol etched itself across the doors like a seal: The Eye of Horus. The lines glowed faintly as demons hammered against the barrier, trying to get in.

“It won’t hold them long,” Carter said.

“Nonetheless,” The Doctor said, “Quite impressive.”

“Amos…” Sadie said quietly. “Do you think –”

“Amos knew what he was doing,” The Doctor said, “He’ll be fine.”

“How can you say that?” Carter asked, “How do you know?”

“We don’t have time for second guessing,” Zia insisted. “Come on!”

The tunnel was narrow, red, and humid, so they were forced to make their way down single file; the Doctor in the front, Sadie behind him, then came Carter, then Zia in the back. It sloped at about forty degrees, making it difficult to step carefully. The walls were decorated with intricate carvings, the Doctor frowned at them as he looked at them, as did Carter as he stopped every so often to scowl at them.

“What?” Sadie demanded after the fifth or sixth time.

“These aren’t normal tomb drawings.” He said. “No afterlife pictures, no pictures of gods.”

“This pyramid is not a tomb,” Zia explained. “It is a platform, a body to contain the power of Set. All these pictures are to increase chaos, and make it reign forever.”

As they continued walking, the carvings got more and more disturbing. Pictures of monsters, scenes of war, large cities in flames, full-colour portraits of Set and the Set animal, tearing into modern armies – scenes so gruesome, no egyption would dare commit them to stone. Scenes so graphic, that no one but a god could have gotten them so accurate. And the Doctor would know.

Finally, they reached the heart of the pyramid.

Where the burial chamber should have been, Set had designed a throne room for himself. It was about twenty five meters by ten meters, though around the edges, the floor dropped off into a deep trench-like moat. Far, far below, thick red liquid bubbled.

The trench looked easy enough to jump across, but on the other side, the floor was carved with red hieroglyphs – all spells invoking the power of Isfet, chaos. Far above in the center of the ceiling, a single square hole let in a crimson light. Otherwise, there appeared to be no exits. Along either wall crouched four obsidian statues of the Set animal, their faces turned towards the door with pearl teeth bared and emerald eyes glittering.

The throne itself was horribly misshapen, like a red stalagmite that had grown haphazardly from centuries of dripping sediment, all formed around a golden coffin – the golden coffin of Julius Kane – which had been buried in the base of the throne, with just enough of it sticking out to form a sort of footrest.

“How do we get him out?” Sadie asked.

Carter’s breath suddenly caught in his throat. “Amos?”

The Doctor followed his gaze upwards to the glowing red vent in the middle of the ceiling. A pair of legs dangled from the opening. Then Amos dropped down, opening his cloak like a parachute so that it floated to the floor. His clothes were still smoking, his hair dusted with ash. He pointed his staff towards the ceiling and spoke a command. The shaft he’d come through rumbled, spilling dust and rubble, and the light was abruptly cut off.

Amos dusted off his clothes and smiled. “That should hold them for a while.”

“How did you do that?” Sadie asked in awe.

He gestured for the group to join him in the room.

Carter didn’t hesitate, jumping the trench and running to his uncle, Sadie taking off right behind him. 

The Doctor reluctantly followed, hopping the trench himself, Zia right behind. She eyed Amos carefully. “You should not be alive.”

Amos chuckled. “How do we get the coffin out?”

“Cut it?” Carter drew his sword, but Amos held up a hand. “No, children. That’s not the business I mean. I’ve made sure no one will interrupt us. Now, it’s time we talked.”

“Talked?” Sadie demanded.

Suddenly, Amos fell to his knees and began to convulse. The Doctor ran towards him, as did Carter and Sadei, but he looked up at them, his face racked with pain, his eyes molten red.

“Run!” He groaned.

He collapsed and red steam issued from his body.

“We have to go!” Zia shouted.

The Doctor grabbed Sadie and Carter and began to pull them out, but neither dared move, watching in frozen horror as the steam rose from Amos’s unconscious form and drifted towards the throne, slowly taking the shape of a seated man – a red warrior in fiery armour with an iron staff in his hand and the head of a canine.

“Oh, dear,” Set laughed. “I suppose Zia gets to say ‘I told you so.’”


	33. A Not-So-Friendly Conversation

Set rose from his throne. He was red skinned and muscular with fiery armour and a black iron staff. His head shifted from that of the hungry jaws of Leroy, to a human face with sandy hair, intelligent eyes that sparked with humour, and a cruel, crooked smile. He kicked Amos out of the way.

Carter was clutching his sword so tightly that his blade trembled. The Doctor placed a hand on his arm to try to keep him back.

“Zia was right,” He said, “You possessed Amos.”

Set spread his hands, as if trying to look modest. “Well, you know…It wasn’t a full possession – gods can exist in many places at once, Carter. Horus could tell you that if he was being honest. I’m sure Horus has been looking for a nice war monument to occupy, or a military academy somewhere – anything but that scrawny little form of yours. Most of my being has now transferred to this magical structure.” He swept his arm proudly around the throne room. “But a sliver of my soul was quite enough to control Amos Kane.”

He held out his pinky, and a wisp of red smoked snaked towards Amos, sinking into his clothes. Amos arched his back like he’d been struck by lightning.

“Stop it!” The Doctor shouted, “We can talk, but stop hurting him!”

Set sighed and dropped his hand. “There’s not much there anyway, I’m afraid. Amos fought well.”

“But he’s out of energy, you can leave him alone now,” The Doctor said, “You’ve got other playthings. You don’t need him anymore.”

“Need him? No.” Set said, “But I  _ like  _ him. He was very entertaining, demanding much more of my energy than I had anticipated. That chaos magic – that was his idea. He tried his best to warn you, to make it obvious I was controlling him. The funny thing is, I forced him to use his own magic reserves to pull off those spells. He almost burned out his soul trying to send you those warning flares. Turn you into a storm? Please. Who does that anymore?”

“You’re a beast!” Sadie shouted.

Set gasped in mock surprise. “Really? Me?”

He roared with laughter as Sadie and Carter rushed past the Doctor to drag Amos out of harm’s way.

“Amos, he was in London that night,” The Doctor said, trying to keep the attention on himself. If anyone could talk to Set it would be him. “Followed us to the British Museum, didn’t he? And you’ve been controlling him ever since.”

“Oh, I did love fooling you,” Set said. “I thought the bon soir was an especially nice touch.”

“But why did you wait?” The Doctor began to pace as he spoke. Movement would maintain attention. He needed to keep Set’s attention. “Why not have Amos kill us?”

Set spread his hands. “As I said, Amos put up a good fight. There were certain things I could not make him do without destroying him completely, and I didn’t want to ruin my new plaything quite so soon.”

Carter’s face was contorting in anger and conflict. Set laughed as though he could sense the boy’s struggle. “Oh, poor Horus. Your host needs training wheels. You seriously expect to challenge me with that?”

Suddenly, Carter’s hand was in the air, and a glowing fist slammed into Set, sending the god flying backwards with such force that he cracked a column, which tumbled down atop him.

For a heartsbeat, the only sound was the trickle of dust and debris. Then out of the rubble, came a deep howl of laughter. Set rose from the ruins, tossing aside a large chunk of stone.

“Nice!” He roared. “Completely ineffective, but nice! It will be a pleasure chopping you to bits, Horus, as I did your father before you. I will entomb you all in this chamber to increase my storm – all four of my precious siblings, and the storm will be large enough to envelop the world!”

“Four?” The Doctor asked, trying to draw Set’s attention again.

“Oh, yes,” Set’s eyes drifted to Zia, who had quietly retreated to one side of the room. “I haven’t forgotten you, my dear.”

Zia glanced at the Doctor and Carter in desperation. “Don’t worry about me. He’s trying to distract you.”

“Lovely goddess,” Set purred. “The form does not do you justice, but your choices were limited, weren’t they?”

Set moved towards her, his staff beginning to glow.

“No!” Carter shouted. He advanced, but Set pointed towards him, and he slammed against the wall.

“Set, leave her alone,” The Doctor said, trying to maintain an aura of calm. “She’s not Nephthys.”

But Set was having none of it, and with the flick of his wrist, the Doctor went flying into the wall.

“Ah, Nephthys,” He crooned. “At the beginning of time, you were my treacherous sister. In another incarnation, in another age, you were my treacherous wife. Now, I think you’ll make a nice appetizer. True, you’re the weakest of us all, but you’re still one of the five, and there is power in collecting the complete set.”

He paused, then grinned. “The complete Set! That’s funny! Now let’s consume your energy and entomb your soul, shall we?”

Zia thrust out her wand. A red sphere of defensive energy glowed around her, but she was clearly still weak. Set shot a blast of sand from his staff and the sphere collapsed. Zia stumbled backwards, the sand ripping at her hair and clothes.

As the Doctor returned to his feet, he could see Carter squirming, trying to escape whatever force was keeping him on the wall.

“Carter, I’m not important!” Sadie shouted from across the room. “Stay focused! Don’t resist!” She raised her staff and shouted, “The House of Life!”

She launched a bolt of fire at Set – an attack that must have cost her all her remaining energy. Set battle the flames aside, directly at Sadie, who had to raise her wand quickly to protect herself and Amos from getting fried. Set tugged at the air as if pulling on an invisible rope, and Zia flew towards him like a rag doll, directly into his hand.

For a moment, Set seemed triumphant and gleeful, but his expression quickly turned to confusion. He scowled, his eyes flaring.”

“What trick is this?” He growled. “Where have you hidden her?”

“You will not possess her,” Zia managed, her breath choked off by his grip.

“Where is she?” He threw Zia aside.

She crashed against the wall, and would’ve slid into the moat had Sadie not yelled, “Wind!” And a guest of air lifted Zia’s body just enough for her to tumble onto the floor before running over and dragging her away from the glowing trench.

“Is this your trickery, Isis?” Set roared, sending another blast against her, but Sadie held up her wand.

“There’s no trickery,” The Doctor promised, drawing Set’s gaze again, “She’s not here.”

_ “You Lie!”  _ The Doctor was flung across the room once more, this time landing behind Sadie, Zia, and Amos.

“I’m not lying,” The Doctor stumbled back to his feet, “Please, no one here is keeping her from you. We can make a deal,  _ I  _ can find her. But you can’t destroy the continent.”

Set laughed madly, “I can do what I want!”

He set out another blast of sandstorm towards them, but Sadie held up her wand. The storm met a shield of force that deflected the wind around it – the sand pitted the walls behind them, making a halo-shaped scar in the rock.

From across the room, Carter snapped. The magical bonds that held him shattered. His combat avatar formed around him, lifting him off the floor and encasing him in golden energy. He stepped forth and raised his sword. The falcon warrior mimicked the movement.

“Carter, you don’t have to do this,” The Doctor warned, “We can talk, we can figure something out.”

“I think we do, actually.”

Set turned and regarded the boy with cold eyes.

“So, Horus,” he said. “You managed to find the pedals of your little bike, eh? That does not mean you can ride.”

“I am Carter Kane,” He said. “Blood of the Pharaohs, Eye of Horus. And now, Set – brother, uncle, traitor – I’m going to crush you like a gnat.”


	34. The Doctor and Sadie Take a Short Nap

Carter’s sword clashed against Set’s iron staff as the red god grew in size. His face would flicker, sometimes human, sometimes the feral maw of the Set animal.

Sparks flew as they clashed. Sadie was trying to shield Zia, Amos, and the Doctor from the destruction, having drawn a hasty protective circle on the floor, and her shields were deflecting the falling debris, but she could only handle this for so much longer.

Carter raised his fist and an air vent above him blasted open until red light once again poured through. He then dropped his sword and launched himself at Set, grabbing his shoulders with his bare hands, trying to wrestle him to the ground. Set growled and dropped the weapon, then grabbed Carter’s arms, twisting around to get behind Set, his forearm slipping beneath his arm and grabbing his neck in a vise. They stumbled forth, almost stepping on Sadie’s protective shields.

Suddenly, Carter and Set had shifted forms – Carter as a falcon, Set as a fruit bat – flying into the vents.

The Doctor then forced himself to turn his attention onto Amos and Zia. Amos’s wounds appeared to be of the more magical kind. He hadn’t a mark on him, but his eyes were rolled up in his head and he was barely breathing. Steam curled from his skin when touched, so the Doctor decided to focus on Zia first.

Zia’s face was deathly pale. She was bleeding from several nasty cuts on her leg. One of her arms was twisted at a bad angle, and her breath rattled.

The Doctor began doing what he could to wrap it with the tools he had, when Zia suddenly grabbed his wrist feebly. “No time. Listen.”

“Zia, I need to stop the bleeding –”

“His name. You need his name.”

“But you’re not Nephthys!” Sadie protested. “Set said so.”

Zia shook her head. “A message…I speak with her voice. The name – Evil Day. Set was born, and it was an Evil Day.”

“Well, that’s somewhat anticlimactic.”

“Use the name,” Zia said. “Bend Set to your will. Make him help.”

“Help with what?” The Doctor asked.

“Yeah, he just tried to kill you,” Sadie pointed out, “He’s not the helping type.”

“Go,” She tried to push them away, but flames sputtered weakly from her fingers. “Carter needs you.”

“We’ll be back,” The Doctor promised.

Sadie stood, staring at the glowing coffin of her father. After a moment, the room began to tremble, increasing in power, cracks splitting in the walls.

“Sadie,” The Doctor said, “Sadie, what are you doing?”

But the girl approached the coffin, placing her hand on it, and freezing in place.

“Sadie?” The Doctor carefully touched her shoulder only to be thrown back into the Land of the Dead, in the Hall of Judgement. The crumbling monuments of New Orleans graveyard shimmered around them. Spirits of the dead stirred restlessly in the msit. At the base of the broken scales, Ammit the Devourer slept. He opened one sleepy glowing eye to study the newcomers, then went back to sleep.

Anubis stepped out from the shadows, dressed in a black silk suit with his tie unknotted. “You shouldn’t be here.”

“Yeah, I often find myself in those kinds of places,” The Doctor nodded.

But Anubis was more focused on Sadie, taking her hand and leading her towards the empty black throne. “We have lost all balance. The throne cannot be empty. The restoration of Ma’at must begin here, at this hall.” He sounded said.

“That’s not fair,” Sadie said.

“No, it’s not.” He squeezed her hand. “I’ll be here, waiting. I’m sorry, Sadie. I truly am…” He began to fade.

“Wait!” She tried to grab his hand, but he melted into mist along with the graveyard.

They were suddenly back in the throne room of the gods, but they looked to have been abandoned for centuries. The roof had fallen in, along with half of the columns. The braziers were cold and rusty, and the beautiful marble floor was cracked as a dry lakebed.

Bast stood alone beside the empty throne of Osiris. She gave them a mischievous smile. “Oh, don’t be so sad,” She chided at the look of Sadie’s grief-stricken face, “Cats don’t do regret.”

“But aren’t you – aren’t you dead?”

“That all depends,” She gestured around her. “The Duat is in turmoil. The gods have gone too long without a king. If Set doesn’t take over, someone else must. The enemy is coming. Don’t let me die in vain.”

“But will you come back?” Sadie asked, her voice breaking. “Please, I never even got to say goodbye to you. I can’t –”

“Good luck, Sadie, Keep your claws sharp.” Bast vanished, and the scenery changed once more.

They were in the Hall of Ages in the First Nome – another empty throne – and Iskandar sat at its feet, waiting for a pharaoh who hadn’t existed for two thousand years.

“A leader, my dear,” He said. “Ma’at demands a leader.”

“It’s too much,” Sadie said. “Too many thrones. You can’t expect Carter –”

“Not alone,” Iskandar agreed. “But this is your family’s burden. You started the process. The Kanes alone will heal us or destroy us.”

“I don’t know what you mean!”

Iskandar opened his hand, and in a flash of light, the scene changed once more. 

They were back at the Thames, mist obscuring the lights of the city. Two people, a man and a woman, stood bundled against the cold, holding hands in front of Cleopatra’s Needle. It was Julius and Ruby Kane.

Julius lifted his face and scowled at the obelisk. “Are you sure?” He asked. “Absolutely sure?”

Ruby brushed her blond hair out of her face. She looked worried with her eyebrows furrowed and her lips pressed together. “She told me this is where it begins. If we want to defeat the enemy, we must start with the obelisk. We must find the truth.”

Julius frowned uneasily. He’d drawn a protective circle around them – blue chalk lines on the pavement. When he touched the base of the obelisk, the circle began to glow.

“I don’t like it,” He said. “Won’t you call on her help?”

“No,” Ruby insisted. “I know my limits, Julius. If I tried again…”

Julius summoned his staff and wand. “Ruby, if we fail –”

“We can’t fail,” She insisted. “The world depends on it.”

They kissed one last time, as if they already knew they were saying goodbye. Then they raised their staffs and wands and began to chant. Cleopatra’s Needle glowed with power.

Sadie forced the scene to shift, screaming at Isis, “You encouraged her to open that obelisk. You got her killed!”

The ghostly image of Julius Kane suddenly appeared before them, shimmering in the light of the golden coffin.

“Sadie,” He smiled, “Don’t blame Isis for your mother’s fate. None of us understood exactly what would happen. Even your mother could only see bits and pieces of the future. When the time came, your mother accepted her role. It was her decision.

“To die?” Sadie demanded. “Isis should have helped her. You should’ve helped her. I hate you!”

She burst into tears. The Doctor wrapped his arms around her. She leaned into his embrace, drying her eyes on his trenchcoat. 

“I’m sorry,” She finally sputtered. “I didn’t –”

“Don’t apologize, my brave girl.” Her father said, “You have every right to feel that way. You had to get it out. What you’re about to do – you have to believe it’s for the right reasons, not because you resent me.”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

He reached out to brush a tear from Sadie’s cheek, but his hand was just a shimmer of light. “Your mother was the first in many centuries to commune with Isis. It was dangerous, against the teachings of the House, but your mother was a diviner. She had a premonition that chaos was rising. The House was falling. We needed the gods. Isis could not cross the Duat. She could barely manage a whisper, but she told us what she could about their imprisonment. She counseled Ruby on what must be done. The gods could rise again, she said, but it would take many hard sacrifices. We thought the obelisk would release all the gods, but that was only the beginning.”

“Isis could’ve given Mum more power,” Sadie protested. “Or at least Bast! Bast offered –”

“No, Sadie. Your mother knew her limits. If she had tried to host a god, fully use divine power, she would have ben consumed or worse. She freed Bast, and used her own power to seal the breach. With her life, she bought you some time.”

“Me?” Sadie said quietly. “But…”

“You and your brother have the strongest blood of any Kane in three thousand years. Your mother studied the lineage of the pharaohs – she knew this to be true. You have the best chance at relearning the old ways and healing the breach between magicians and gods. Your mother began the stirring. I unleashed the gods from the Rosetta Stone. But it will be your job to restore Ma’at.”

“You can help,” Sadie said. “Once we free you.”

“You don’t think we can,” The Doctor realized.

“No! We have to!”

“Doctor,” Julius tried, “You understand more than any that, as a father, there are sacrifices that must be made for your children.”

“But there’s another way,” The Doctor insisted, “There’s always another way.”

“Ruby and I set the stage, but it is your stage now. The pyramid is designed to feed chaos. It consumes the power of other gods and makes Set stronger.”

“But what if we break the throne?” Sadie tried desperately. “Or we could open the coffin…”

“You might save me,” Julius admitted. “But the power of Osiris, the power inside me, would be consumed by the pyramid. It would only hasten the destruction and make Set stronger. The pyramid must be destroyed, all of it. And you know how that must be done.”

To save the world, Sadie would have to sacrifice her own father. 

“I don’t want to,” She begged. “Please.”

“Osiris must take his throne,” Julius said. “Through death, life. It is the only way. May Ma’at guide you, Sadie. I love you.”

The Doctor retrieved the two of them from the trance and removed his hand from her shoulder.

“You ‘right?” The Doctor asked.

“I’m fine,” Sadie responded distantly.

“I’d be a fool to believe that for a second.”

“Come on,” A smile slipped onto her face. “We’ve got a plan.”

And with that, a gust of wind burst out from below them, sending them flying into the airshaft towards the top of the pyramid. 


	35. The Real Enemy

Things weren’t going all that well upstairs.

Carter was a crumpled heap of hawk warrior on the slope of the pyramid. Set had just placed the capstone and was shouting, “Thirty seconds to sunrise!” In the cavern below, magicians from the House of Life waded through an army of demons, fighting a hopeless fight.

As Carter struggled his way up the pyramid, Set gloated: “You can’t stop me by yourself, Horus – especially not in the desert, the source of my strength!”

“Well then,” The Doctor said boldly, “It’s a pretty good thing that he’s not alone, then.”

“And we’re not going to be fighting in the desert,” Sadie said, slamming her staff against the stones and shouted, “Washington, D.C.!”

The pyramid shook, but nothing happened.

Set seemed to realize what Sadie was trying to do and let out a nervous laugh. “Magic 101, Sadie Kane. You can’t open a portal during the Demon Days!”

“A mortal can’t,” Sadie agreed. “But a goddess of magic can.”

Above them, the air crackled with lightning. The top of the cavern dissolve into a churning vortex of sand as large as the pyramid.

Demons stopped fighting and looked up in horror. Magicians stammered mid-spell, their faces slack with awe.

The vortex was so powerful that it ripped blocks off the pyramid and sucked them into the sand. And then, like a massive lid, the portal began to descend.

“No!” Set roared. He blasted the portal with flames, then turned on Sadie and hurled stones and lightning, but it was too late. The portal swallowed them all.

The world flipped and the Doctor, Sadie, Carter, and Set found themselves in the cold morning air with a brilliant blue sky above. Spread out below them, were the snow-covered fields of the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

The red pyramid was still intact, but cracks had appeared on its surface. The gold capstone glowed, trying to maintain its magic, but they were not in Phoenix anymore. The pyramid had been ripped from its source of power, the desert, and in front of it loomed the default gateway for North America, the tall white obelisk that was the most powerful focal point of Ma’at on the continent: the Washington Monument.

Set spat a number of foul curses in Ancient Egyptian. “I will rend your limbs from their sockets! I will –”

“Die?” Carter suggested.

“Carter, no!” The Doctor shouted, but Carter was already in movement. He rose behind Set and swung his sword. The blade cut into Set’s armour at the ribs – not a killing blow, but enough to knock the god off balance and send him tumbling down the side of his pyramid. 

“We can talk to him!” The Doctor insisted. “We don’t have to kill him!”

Carter locked eyes with him. “Doctor, I have to save my dad.” He bounded after Set, “The book, Sadie! Do it now!”

“No!” Set bellowed. He charged towards Sadie, only to be intercepted halfway up the slope by Carter. He grappled with Set, holding him back. The stones of the pyramid cracked and crumbled under the weight of their godly forms. All around the base of the pyramid, demons and magicians who’d been pulled through the portal and knocked momentarily unconscious were beginning to stir.

Sadie summoned the small blue tome they’d stolen from Paris: The Book of Overcoming Set. In her hand, glowed the feather of truth.

“Sadie,” The Doctor said, “There’s another way.”

Sadie looked apologetically at the Doctor before bringing her attention back to the tome. 

“I name you Set,” She chanted. “I name you Evil Day.”

With a thunderous roar, the pyramid imploded. Set fell crashing into the ruins. He tried to rise, but Carter swung his sword. Set barely had time to raise his staff. Their weapons crossed, and Horus slowly forced Set to one knee.

“Now, Sadie!” Carter yelled.

“Sadie, don’t!”

“You have been my enemy,” Sadie chanted, “and a curse on the land.” A line of white light shot down the length of the Washington Monument. It widened into a rift – a doorway between this world and the Duat. It would lock Set away, trapping his life force for a long time.

Sadie hesitated, her eyes shifting with uncertainty from Set to the Doctor.

“Sadie!” Carter yelled. “What are you waiting for?”

Set was on his knees, writhing and cursing as white energy encircled him, pulling him towards the Duat. “Lost your stomach, witch?” He bellowed. He glared at Carter. “You see, Horus? Isis was always a coward. She could never complete the deed!”

Sadie stepped back anxiously. She then furrowed her brow with determination. “Carter, Doctor, look!” She threw the feather of truth into the sky, breaking the spell.

“No!” Carter screamed.

But the feather exploded into silver dust that clung to the form above, revealing it for just an instant…the form of a serpent.

“Apophis.” The Doctor breathed.

He turned, only to see the Face of Horror, his fangs bared and his face inches from Sadie’s.

“No!” The Doctor dove in front of Sadie.

But the strike never came. Instead, there was a  _ thunk. _ And Carter’s sword was lodged into Face of Horror’s forehead. 

The demon dropped his knife and crumpled to the ground, exhaling with an angry hiss. “This is not over, godlings. All this I have wrought with a wisp of my voice, the merest bit of my essence wriggling from my weakened cage. Imagine what I shall do when fully formed.” And with that, his body disintegrated to sand.

The Doctor glanced up to see a massive red serpent slowly dissolving in the sky. Next to him, Sadie summoned a strong wind and dispersed it completely. The Washington Monument stopped glowing. The rift closed, and the spellbook disappeared. 

The Doctor moved towards Set who was still ensnared in ropes of white energy. Sadie had spoken his true name. He couldn’t go anywhere until she released him.

“You saw Apophis in the clouds,” The Doctor said bluntly. “He’s been playing you from the start. Your lieutenant – Face of Horror – Apophis was possessing him.”

“Ridiculous!” Set glared and struggled against his bonds. “The snake in the clouds, it’s one of Isis’s tricks. An illusion.”

“You know it wasn’t,” Sadie said. “I could’ve sent you into the abyss, Set, but…” She looked apologetically towards the Doctor. “You weren’t the real enemy.”

“He was using you to break out of his prison in the Duat,” The Doctor pushed.

“No one uses me!”

Carter allowed for his warrior form to disperse. He floated to the ground and summoned his sword back into his hand. “Apophis wanted your explosion to feed his power, Set. As soon as he came through the Duat and found us dead, I’m betting you would’ve been his first meal. Chaos would’ve won.”

“I am chaos!” Set insisted.

“Yes, you are,” The Doctor said, “But you are not evil. You were once Ra’s faithful lieutenant who defended his boat against Apophis. He would have never defeated the serpent without you.”

“I am pretty great,” Set admitted, “But Ra is gone forever, thanks to you, dear sister,” He glared at Sadie. 

“But he may not be gone forever,” The Doctor said, “I’ll try to find him. I promise. But Apophis is rising, which means we’ll need all the gods to help. Especially you.”

Set tested his bonds of white energy. When he found he couldn’t break them, he gave a crooked side. “You suggest an alliance? You’d trust me?”

“I would.” The Doctor said.

Set laughed, “I sense your friends disagree.”

“You’ve got to be kidding,” Carter said, “But we’ve got his number, now. We know his secret name.”

Sadie closed her fingers, and the bonds tightened around Set. He cried out in pain.

“Sadie, stop it.” The Doctor growled.

“The House of Life tried banishing the gods,” Sadie said finally. “It didn’t work. If we lock you away, we’re no better than they are. It doesn’t solve anything.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” Set groaned. “So if you’ll just loosen these bonds –”

“You’re still a villainous piece of scum,” Sadie said. “But you have a role to play, and you’ll need controlling. I’ll agree to release you – if you swear to behave, to return to the Duat, and not cause trouble until we call you. And then you’ll make trouble for us, fighting against Apophis.”

“Or I could chop off your head,” Carter suggested. “That would probably exile you for a good long while.” He winced as he met the Doctor’s disapproving gaze. “Sorry.”

Set glanced curiously between the three of them. “Make trouble for you, eh? That is my specialty.”

“Swear by your own name and the throne of Ra,” Sadie demanded. “You will leave now and not reappear until you are called.”

“Oh, I swear,” He said, just a bit too quickly. “By my name and Ra’s throne and our mother’s starry elbows.”

“If you betray us,” Sadie warned, “I have your name. I won’t show you mercy a second time.”

“You always were my favorite sister.”

Sadie clenched her fist, causing Set to cry out in pain one last time before she released him and let the bindings dissolve.

Set stood up and flexed his arms. He appeared as a warrior with red armour and red skin, a black forked beard, and twinkling cruel eyes. He winked at Carter – presumably aiming it towards Horus – then pretended to shoot Sadie with a finger gun. “Oh, this will be good. We’re going to have so much fun.”

“Begone, Evil Day,” Sadie said.

He smirked at the Doctor and dissolved into sand.

The snow in the National Mall had melted in a perfect square, exactly the size of Set’s pyramid. Around the edges, a dozen magicians still lay unconscious. They’d started to stir when the portal closed, but the explosion of the pyramid had knocked them all out again. Other mortals in the area had been affected in similar ways. An early morning jogger was slumped on the sidewalk and cars on nearby streets idled whilst the drivers napped over the steering wheels. Not everyone was asleep, though. Police sirens wailed in the distance. 

The Doctor ran to the center of the melted square, Sadie and Carter on his heels, to where Amos and Zia lay crumpled in the grass.

Amos groaned. “What…” His eyes clouded over with terror. “Set…he…he…”

“He’s gone,” The Doctor promised, “It’s all right, you can rest now.”

Sadie walked over and kneeled beside him and took out her wand. “Hah-ri.”

Faint hieroglyphs glowed over his face and Amos drifted back to sleep.

Zia was even worse off. Carter cradled her head and spoke reassuringly about how she would be fine, but she looked bad. Her skin was a strange reddish colour, dry and brittle as if she’d suffered a horrid sunburn. In the grass around her, hieroglyphs were fading – the remains of a protective circle. She’d used the last of her energy to shield herself and Amos when the pyramid imploded.

“Set?” She asked weakly. “Is he gone?”

“Yes,” Carter whispered. “Everything’s fine, thanks to you. The secret name worked.”

She nodded, satisfied, and her eyes began to close.

“Hey,” Carter’s voice quavered. “Stay away. You’re not going to leave me alone with the crazies over here, are you?”

Zia tried to smile, but the effort made her wince. “I was…never here, Carter. Just a message – a placeholder.”

“Come on. No. That’s no way to talk.”

“Find her, will you?” Zia said. A tear traced its way down her nose. “She’d…like that…a date to the mall.” Her eyes drifted away and stared blankly into the sky.

“Zia!” Carter clutched her hand. “Stop that. You can’t…You can’t just…”

The Doctor knelt beside him and placed an arm around him.

Carter grabbed the Doctor, clutching to his trenchcoat as he cried. 

Then, along the path of Zia’s tear, from the corner of her eye to the base of her nose, Zia’s face cracked. Smaller fractures appeared, webbing her skin. Her flesh dried out, hardening…turning into clay.

“Carter,” The Doctor said.

“What?” He replied miserably.

He looked up just as a small blue light drifted out of Zia’s mouth and flew into the sky. Carter backed away in shock, his eyes turning to Sadie. “What – what did you do?”

“Nothing,” The Doctor realized, a grin illuminating his features. “Sadie did nothing, Carter. She was a shabti!”

“What?”

“She was never really here, just a replica of her. She’s still alive, Carter! Iskandar protected her, just like he said he would.”

“Remember what Thoth said:” Sadie agreed, “‘Shabti make excellent stunt doubles? And Nephthys told me she was sheltered somewhere, inside a sleeping boat. When Nephthys joined with the real Zia in London, Iskandar knew she was in danger. Iskandar hid her away and replaced her with a shabti.”

“But where is she?” Carter asked.

No one had an answer for that.

Carter touched her face and it crumbled to dust. He picked up her wand, which remained solid ivory, but he held it gingerly as if he were afraid it too would dissolve. “That blue light,” he began to ramble. “I saw Zia release one in the First Nome, too. Just like the shabti in Memphis – they sent their thoughts back to Thoth. So Zia must’ve been in contact with her shabti. That’s what the light was. They must’ve been, like, sharing memories, right? She must know what the shabti’s been through. If the real Zia is alive somewhere, she might be locked up or in some kind of magic sleep or – We have to find her!”

“And we will.” The Doctor said. “Promise.”

Carter smiled up at the Doctor, and looked as though he was about to say something, when a voice from behind them shouted, “What have you done?”

Desjardins was most literally fuming. His tattered robes still smoked from battle, his staff was aglow, and the whiskers in his beard smouldered. Behind him stood three equally battered magicians, who all looked as though they’d just regained consciousness.

“Oh good,” Sadie muttered. “You’re alive.”

“You bargained with Set?” Desjardins demanded. “You let him go?”

“We don’t answer to you,” Carter growled. He stopped forwards, hand on his sword, but the Doctor put out his arm to hold him back.

“Apophis is rising,” The Doctor said calmly, “The House of life has grown old and ignorant. You need to relearn the old ways.”

“The old ways destroyed us!” Desjardins yelled.

To the Doctor’s surprise, it was Sadie who spoke up. “Pride destroyed you. Greed and selfishness and all of that. It’s hard to follow the path of the gods. But it is part of magic. You can’t just shut it down.”

“You are drunk with power, Desjardins snarled. “The gods have possessed you, as they always do. Soon you will forget you are even human. We will fight you and destroy you.” He then glared at Carter. “And you – I know what Horus would demand. You will never reclaim the throne. With my last breath –”

“Save it,” Sadie said, facing her brother. “You know what we have to do?”

A silent understanding passed between the siblings.

“Are you sure?” He asked. “We’re leaving ourselves open.” He glared at Desjardins. “Just one more good smack with the sword?”

Sadie gave an amused smile. “I’m sure, Carter.”

They closed their eyes in concentration.

A burst of energy evaporated from the Kanes’ beings. Part of it flowed into their necklaces, part into the Washington Monument. Back into the Duat.

When they opened their eyes again, Desjardins was standing in shock,  _ “It is not possible. You couldn’t –” _

“I think they just did,” The Doctor grinned. 

“We’ve given up the gods on our own free will. And you’ve got a lot to learn about what’s possible.”

Carter threw down his sword. “Desjardins, I’m not after the throne. Not unless I earn it by myself, and that’s going to take time. We’re going to learn the path of the gods. We’re going to teach others. You can waste time trying to destroy us, or you can help.”

The sirens were much closer now, the lights were now visible from several directions. They were being surrounded. 

Desjardins looked at the magicians behind him, likely gauging how much support he could rally. But they looked in awe. One even began to bow, then caught himself.

Desjardins’s nostrils flared. Then, to everyone’s surprise, he lowered his staff. “There has been too much destruction today. But the path of the gods shall remain closed. If you cross the House of Life again…” He let the threat hang in the air and slammed his staff down. With a final burst of energy, the four magicians dissolved into the wind and guested away.”

Amos groaned and started sitting up. Police cars and sinister-looking black vans blocked the curbs all around. Sirens blared. A helicopter sliced through the air over the Potomac, closing fast. Bloody mortals.

“We have to get out of here.” Sadie said. “Can you summon enough magic to change Amos and the Doctor into something small – some mice, maybe? We can fly them out.”

“Um, do I have any say in this?” The Doctor asked.

“Nope,” Sadie said.

“Dad…” Carter murmured, still in a daze. “We didn’t…”

The Doctor nodded sadly. The pyramid, the throne, the golden coffin – it was all gone.

“Let’s get Amos to safety first,” The Doctor said gently. “Then we’ll figure things out from there.”

Carter nodded. “But where can we go?”

There was only one place they could think of.


	36. Goodbyes and Broken Promises

Carter and Sadie just had enough magic to turn the Doctor and Amos into mice. Well, the Doctor into a mouse. Carter turned Amos into a hamster, but close enough. The two siblings turned into birds, grabbed the Doctor and Amos in their talons, and flew off, but a few kilometers from the National Mall, Amos began to struggle to change back and they were forced to land outside a train station. Amos turned back into a human and curled into a shivering ball. 

They decided to take him into the station and let him sleep on a bench whilst the Doctor, Carter, and Sadie warmed themselves and watched the news.

Apparently, the whole of Washington D.C. was under lockdown. There’d been reports of explosions and strange lights at the Washington Monument but all the cameras could show was a large square of melted snow on the mall, which didn’t make for a very interesting video. Experts came on and spoke about terrorism, but eventually it became clear that there’d been no permanent damage. After a while, the media began speculating about freak storm activity or a rare southern appearance of the Northern Lights. Within an hour, the authorities opened up the city.

The Doctor purchased them train tickets as far as New York and they settled into their seats. They were about halfway through the ride when Sadie finally asked, “What did you mean, Doctor?”

“Hmm?” The Time Lord inclined his head curiously.

“When we woke up after meeting with Geb…You said you lost everything…”

“And?”

“Well…What did you mean by that?”

The Doctor sighed. “Exactly what I said, Sadie.”

“So, your family…?”

“Yeah.”

“What happened?” Carter was listening intently now. 

The Doctor reclined against the seat and ran a tired hand over his eyes. “Doesn’t matter, it was a long time ago.”

“Is that why you left your planet?” Carter asked, “Because your family died?”

“Carter!” Sadie snapped, but the Doctor waved her off.

“No, it’s fine.” He sighed. “I left because my planet died, Carter. I don’t go back because I can’t.”

“Oh.” There was a sickening silence.

“You should get some rest.” The Doctor finally said. “We’ve had a long day.”

“Yeah.”

The rest of the train ride passed in silence.

By the time they got back to Brooklyn, it was already sunset. They found the mansion burned out, which the Doctor had been expecting, but with nowhere else to go, they headed in. Just as they guided Amos through the doorway, they heard a familiar, “Agh! Agh!” of excitement.

“Khufu!” Sadie cried.

The baboon tackled her in a hug and climbed onto her shoulders. He picked at her hair, seeing if she’d brought him any good bugs to eat. 

He’d cleaned up. Or at least he’d tried to. He’d dusted off the one surviving sofa, stacked Cheerios boxes in the fireplace, and even put a dish of water and fresh food out for Muffin, who was curled up asleep on a small pillow. In the cleanest part of the room, under an intact section of roof, Khufu had made four separate mounds of pillows and sheets – a place to sleep for all of them.

Khufu jumped off of Sadie and grabbed a half-melted basketball. He looked over at Carter, gesturing to a makeshift basket he’d made out of some burned beams and a laundry hamper.  _ “Play?” _

It was a gesture of forgiveness.

Carter smiled. “Khufu, you are one freaking awesome baboon.”

_ “Play?”  _ He repeated, pointing to the basketball.

“You want to school me?” Carter asked. “Yeah, I deserve it. Just give us a second to…”

His smile melted. The Doctor followed his gaze over to Amos. He’d drifted over to the ruined statue of Thoth. The god’s cracked ibis head lay at his feet. His hands had broken off, and his tablet and stylus lay shattered on the ground. Amos stared at the headless god – the patron of magicians. The Doctor knew exactly what he was thinking. This was a bad omen for a homecoming.

“It’ll be all right,” the Doctor promised. “We’ll make it right.”

If Amos heard, he gave no sign. He drifted over to the couch and plopped down, resting his head in his hands.

Sadie glanced uneasily at the Doctor. Then she looked around at the blackened walls, the crumbling ceilings, and the charred remains of the furniture.

“Well,” She said, trying to sound upbeat. “How about I play basketball with Khufu and you boys can clean the house.”

Even with Sadie and Carter’s magic, it took several weeks to put the house back in order. The Doctor was not usually one to stay for the aftermath, but he felt responsible for ensuring the siblings would be all right. Amos wasn’t exactly in the right place to be a chaperone. But eventually they got the walls and ceilings repaired and cleaned up the debris until the house no longer smelt of smoke. They brought Amos out to watch as they released the wax crocodile figurine into the water, and Philip of Macedonia sprang to life.

Amos almost smiled.

They watched as he sank into a chair on the terrace and stared desolate at the Manhattan skyline. He’d lost a lot of weight and he looked haggard. Most days he wore his bathrobe and didn’t even bother to comb his hair.

“Do you think he’ll be okay?” Carter asked.

“I think so.” The Doctor said. “But it will take time.”

Sadie sighed in relief. “Well we’ve got plenty of that, now.”

It didn’t escape the Doctor how affected the children were too. He would often hear them wake suddenly, breathing heavily. Or sit with them through nightmares. Every morning, Carter would sneak down to the locked box in the library where he and Sadie had stored their amulets. Just to make sure they were still there.

One night at dinner, they had a visitor.

Amos had gone to bed early, as he usually did. Khufu was inside watching the news with Muffin on his lap. The Doctor had joined Sadie and Carter after a long day’s work on the dock that overlooked the river. Philip of Macedonia floated silently in his pool. And apart from the distant hum of the city, the night was quiet.

Without warning, someone appeared, standing at the railing. He was lean and tall, with disheveled hair and pale skin, and his clothes were all black. For a moment, the Doctor’d been convinced Nico had paid them a visit. But he was quickly corrected when Sadie shot up from her chair and blurted, “Anubis!”

Right. Nico was busy.

“Sadie,” He said, stepping forwards, “Carter, Doctor. “Would you come with me, please?”

“Sure,” Sadie said, her voice slightly strangled.

“Hold on,” Carter protested, “Where are we going?”

Anubis gestured behind, and a door opened in the air – a pure black rectangle. “Someone wants to see you.”

Sadie took his hand and stepped through into the darkness, the Doctor and Carter right behind.

As the Doctor walked into the Hall of Judgement, he froze. He barely registered how the golden scales that dominated the room had been fixed, nor how the black pillars marched off into the gloom on all four sides, but instead at the overlay. It was no longer a graveyard but a vast field of amber grass beneath glowing snow-capped mountains that were glowing in the morning light and carpeted with pale blue flowers. Just below them was a massive dome surrounding towering golden spires that gazed down upon the city below. The silver leaves of the trees reflected the light of the duel suns, setting the forests aflame, glowing with the ghosts of footprints from the children who once ran beneath those trunks.

“Woah,” Sadie breathed as she stared across the scene.

“Doctor?” Carter murmured, “Are you…crying?”

Sadie frowned and turned towards the Doctor. “It’s – it’s just a house. Why –?”

“What do you see?” The Doctor asked.

Sadie and Carter exchanged a look.

“It’s our old house in Los Angeles,” Sadie said slowly, “In the hills overlooking the Pacific – it was the last place we’d lived as a family.”

The Doctor drew in a long, slow breath. “Describe it.”

“What?”

“What does it look like?”

“It’s a white sitting room,” Carter said unsurley.

“It’s got tall ceilings and these huge picture windows.” Sadie added. “There are double doors that lead to a terrace.”

“It looks over the ocean.” Carter finished.

The Doctor nodded slowly, his eyes not moving from the scene set before him.

“Doctor…” Sadie said carefully. “Doctor, what do you see?”

“The Hall of Judgment is intuitive,” a familiar voice said. “It responds to strong memories.”

The Doctor’s eyes reluctantly drifted back towards the throne. It wasn’t empty anymore. Sitting there, with Ammit the Devourer curled at his feet, was Julius Kane.

He was wearing his long brown coat, rumpled suit, and dusty boots, just as he had been when the Doctor had seen him at the museum. But his head was now freshly shaven and his beard neatly trimmed. His eyes gleamed proudly at his children.

His form shimmered in a strange light, much like the room itself. He existed within two separate worlds now. When the Doctor focused in, he could see the man in a deeper level of the Duat. He was still there, just taller and stronger, dressed in the robes and jewels of an Egyptian pharaoh. His skin was a deep shade of blue, not unlike that of the ocean.

Anubis walked over and stood beside him.

“Well, come on,” Julius said. “I won’t bite.”

The Doctor glanced towards the siblings. They were watching him carefully, more than a little cautious to approach.

The Doctor nodded slightly and the siblings made their way over to him. The Doctor followed behind slowly, as if not quite sure where the next image would jump out at him.

Ammit the Devourer growled as they came close, but Julius stroked his crocodile head and hushed him. “These are my children, Ammit. And a very close friend. Behave.”

“D-Dad?” Carter stammered, staring at him in a mixture of shock and awe. Emotion bubbled up all around him and all he managed to say was: “You’re blue.”

Julius laughed, his voice echoing through the hall, breaking the tension. The ghost of a smile played at the Doctor’s lips.

“Goes with the territory,” Julius said. “I’m sorry I didn’t bring you here sooner, but things have been…” He looked at Anubis for the right word.

“Complicated,” Anubis suggested.

“Complicated.” Julius agreed. “I have meant to tell you both how proud I am of you, how much the gods are in your debt –”

“Hang on,” Sadie said. She stormed right up to the throne. Ammit growled at her, but Sadie growled back, which confused the creature into silence.

“What are you?” She demanded. “My dad? Osiris? Are you even alive?”

Julius looked at Anubis. “What did I tell you about her? Fiercer than Ammit, I said.”

“You didn’t need to tell me.” Anubis’s face was grave. “I’ve learned to fear that sharp tongue.”

Sadie looked outraged. “Excuse me?”

“To answer your question,” Julius said, “I am both Osiris and Julius Kane. I am alive and dead, though the term recycled might be closer to the truth. Osiris is the god of the dead, and the god of new life. To return him to his throne –”

“You had to die,” Carter said, trembling with anger. “You knew this going into it. You intentionally hosted Osiris, knowing you would die. This is what you meant by ‘making things right’?”

Julius’s expression didn’t change. He still gazed down at his son with pride and joy. As if everything he did delighted him – even his shouting filled him with joy.

“I missed you, Carter,” He said. “I can’t tell you how much. But we made the right choice. We all did. If you had saved me in the world above, we would have lost everything. For the first time in millennia, we have a chance at rebirth, and a chance to stop chaos because of you.”

“There had to be another way,” Carter said, his eyes drifting towards the Doctor. “There’s  _ always  _ another way. You could’ve fought as a mortal, without…without –”

“Carter, when Osiris was alive, he was a great king.” Julius said calmly. “But when he died –”

“He became a thousand times more powerful,” Carter remembered.

Julius nodded. “The Duat is the foundation for the real world. If there is chaos here, it reverberates in the upper world. Helping Osiris to his throne was a first step, a thousand times more important than anything I could’ve done in the world above – except being your father. And I am still your father.”

Carter’s eyes were filled with furious tears that he refused to let fall. Sadie on the other hand, she looked even angrier than her brother, but instead of glaring at her father, she was glaring at Anubis.

“Sharp tongue?” She demanded.

Julius cleared his throat. “Children, there is another reason I made my choice, as you can probably guess.” He held out a hand, and a woman in a black dress appeared beside him. She had golden hair, intelligent blue eyes, and a face that looked just like Sadie’s.

“Mom,” Carter’s voice broke.

Ruby Kane gazed back and forth between Sadie and Carter in amazement. They drifted over the Doctor, though he could feel them latch onto his own for just a fleeting moment.

“Julius told me how much you’d grown,” She said, “But I couldn’t believe it. Carter, I bet you’re shaving –”

“Mom.”

“– and dating girls –”

“Mom!” Carter cried, his face a mixture of shock and pure embarrassment.

She smiled at her son fondly. “We can’t go back, Carter, but nothing is lost, even in death. Do you remember the law of conservation?”

“Energy and matter cannot be created or destroyed.”

“Only changed,” Ruby agreed. “And sometimes changed for the better.” She took her husband's hand.

“Mum,” Sadie swallowed, “Did you really…was that –”

“Yes, my brave girl. My thoughts mixed with yours. I’m so proud of you. And thanks to Isis, I feel like I know you as well.” She leaned forwards and smiled conspiratorially. “I like chocolate caramels, too, though your grandmum never approved of keeping sweets in the flat.”

Sadie broke into a relieved grin. “I know! She’s impossible!”

The Hall of Judgement suddenly rumbled. Julius checked his watch. “We should wrap things up,” He said. “The others are expecting you.”

“Others?” Carter asked.

“A gift before you go.” Julius nodded to his wife.

She stepped forwards and handed Carter a palm-sized package of folded black linen. The Doctor observed in silence as Carter and Sadie unwrapped it. Inside was a new amulet.

“Is that a spine?” Sadie demanded.

“It’s a djed,” The Doctor finally spoke. “It’s the spine of Osiris.

“Yuck,” Sadie muttered, though her eyes lingered on the Doctor a little longer than they usually would have, concern colouring her features.

Ruby laughed. “It is a bit yuck, but honestly, it’s a powerful symbol. Stands for stability, strength –”

“Backbone?” Carter asked.

“Literally.” Ruby gave her son an approving look. She then closed the amulet into Carter’s hands. “Djed also stands for the power of Osiris – renewed life from the ashes of death. This is exactly what you will need if you are to stir the blood of the pharaohs in others and rebuild the House of Life.”

“The House won’t like that,” Sadie put in.

“No,” Ruby said cheerfully. “They certainly won’t.”

The Hall of Judgement rumbled again.

“It is time,” Julius said. “We’ll meet again. But until then, take care.”

“Be mindful of your enemies,” Ruby added.

“And tell Amos…” Julius’s voice trailed off thoughtfully. “Remind my brother that Egyptians believe in the power of the sunrise. They believe each morning begins not just a new day but a new world.”

“And Doctor,” Ruby said, “Thank you.”

The Doctor frowned. “Whatever for?”

“For taking care of our children,” Ruby said. “And for keeping the planet safe.”

The Doctor laughed sadly. “I do my best.”

“And we’re grateful,” Julius said. “Stay safe.”

“And take care of yourself,” Ruby pleaded. “For our sake.”

The Hall of Judgement faded, and the Doctor, Sadie, and Carter stood with Anubis in a field of darkness.

“I’ll show you the way,” Anubis said. “It is my job.”

He ushered them to a space in the darkness that looked no different from any other. But when he pushed with his hand, a door swung open. The entrance blazed with daylight.

Anubis bowed formally to Carter and the Doctor, then looked at Sadie with a glint of mischief in his eyes. “It’s been…stimulating.”

The Doctor raised his eyebrows at Carter, who smirked.

Sadie flushed and pointed at him accusingly. “We’re not done, mister. I expect you to look after my parents. And next time I’m in the Land of the Dead, you and I will have words.”

A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “I’ll look forward to that.”

The Doctor, Carter, and Sadie stepped through the doorway and into the palace of the gods.

All around them, the gods had gathered. Many were just flashes of light and fire. Some were shadowy images that shifted from animal to human. Thoth flickered into view as a wild-haired man in a lab coat before turning into a cloud of green gas; Hathor, the cow-headed goddess, gave them a puzzled look, as if vaguely recognizing them from the Magic Salsa incident. The Doctor cast a searching gaze across the room, but alas, Bast was nowhere to be found.

“What have we started?” Sadie murmured.

The Doctor understood what she meant. The throne room was full of hundreds of gods, major and minor, all darting through the palace, forming new shapes and glowing with power.

Two familiar figures stood beside the throne. Horus wore full battle armour and a khopesh sword at his side. His kohl-lined eyes – one gold and one silver – were piercing. At his side stood Isis in a shimmering white gown with wings of light.

“Welcome,” Horus greeted, his eyes locked on Carter.

“Um, hi,” Carter said uncomfortably.

“He has a way with words,” Isis muttered, which caused the Doctor to smirk and Sadie to snort in laughter.

Horus gestured to the throne. “I know your thoughts, Carter, so I think I know what you will say. But I have to ask you one more time. Will you join me? We could rule the earth and the heavens. Ma’at demands a leader.”

“Yeah,” Carter said. “So I’ve heard.”

“I would be stronger with you as my host.” Horus said. “You’ve only touched the surface of what combat magic can do. We could accomplish great things, and it is your destiny to lead the House of Life. You could be the king of two thrones.”

Carter glanced at Sadie, who simply shrugged. “Don’t look at me. I find the idea horrifying.”

Horus scowled.

Carter’s eyes then drifted towards the Doctor.

“This is your choice, Carter.” The Doctor said. “But I’ll tell you now: dealing with gods…” He shook his head.

Carter nodded in acknowledgment. He thought for a long moment, then finally decided: “Maybe someday. Much later.”

Horus sighed. “Five thousand years, and I still do not understand mortals.”

The Doctor smirked, “Tell me about it.”

Horus then stepped up to the throne and looked around at the gallery of assembled gods.

“I, Horus, son of Osiris, claim the throne of the heavens as my birthright!” He shouted. “What was once mine shall be mine again. Is there any who would challenge me?”

The gods flickered and glowed. A few scowled. One muttered something that sounded suspiciously like, “Cheese.”

From the corner of his eye, the Doctor caught a glimpse of Sobek snarling in the shadows. But no one dared raise a challenge.

Horus took his seat on the throne. Isis brought him a crook and flail – the twin scepters of the pharaohs. He crossed them over his chest and all the gods bowed before him.

When they’d risen again, Isis stepped towards the three children.

“Doctor. Carter and Sadie Kane. You have done much to restore Ma’at. The gods must gather their strength, and you have bought us time, though we do not know how much. Apophis will not stay locked away forever.”

“I’d settle for a few hundred years,” Sadie said. 

Isis smiled. “However that may be, today you are heroes. The gods owe you a debt, and we take our debts seriously.”

Horus rose from the throne. With a wink at Carter, he knelt before them. The other gods shifted uncomfortably, but followed suit. Even the gods in fire form dimmed their flames.

The Doctor was aware he likely appeared uncomfortable. Sadie looked somewhat pleased. Carter looked so stunned that when Horus got up again he laughed. “You look like that time when Zia told you –”

“Yeah, could we skip that?” Carter said quickly.

“Go in peace,” Horus said. “You will find our gifts in the morning.”

“Gifts?” The Doctor frowned.

“You’ll see,” Isis promised. “We will be watching you, and waiting.”

“Right, because that’s not creepy at all.” The Doctor grumbled.

Isis waved her hand, and suddenly they were back on the mansion’s terrace as if nothing had happened.

Sadie turned towards the Doctor and Carter wistfully. “‘Stimulating.’”

The Doctor smirked.

Carter held out his hand to where the djed amulet was glowing in its linen wrapping. “Any idea what this thing does?”

The Doctor shrugged.

Sadie blinked. “Hmm? Oh, don’t care. What did Anubis look like to you guys?”

“What did…” Carter looked confused. “He looked like a guy. So?”

“A good-looking guy, or a slobbering dog-headed guy?”

“I guess…not the dog-headed guy.”

“I knew it!” Sadie pointed to Carter as if she’d won an argument. “Good-looking. I knew it!”

The Doctor laughed quietly to himself. How so very human.

The commotion died down and fell into silence. The Doctor looked up only to find Sadie and Carter both watching him.

“What?”

“What did you see in the Hall of Judgement?”

“Nothing,” The Doctor said a bit too quickly.

“Didn’t look like it was nothing.” Sadie pointed out.

“It was your home, wasn’t it?” Carter asked.

The Doctor froze. “How did you –”

“Well, it showed us our home…” Carter said nervously, “So I could only assume…”

There was a long pause.

“Yeah,” The Doctor admitted quietly. “Yeah, it was.”

“Can you…” Sadie hesitated. “Can you describe it?”

The Doctor smiled sadly. “No.”

Sadie and Carter looked taken aback. “What? Why?”

“Another time,” The Doctor promised quietly. “Another time.”

The next morning they got the gods’ gifts.

They arose in the morning to find that the mansion had been completely repaired down to the smallest detail. Everything that hadn’t been finished yet – likely another month’s worth of work – was done.

Carter and Sadie had found new clothes in their closets – the Doctor had been joined by Sadie in the newly-restored Great Room alongside Khufu in a new Lakers jersey and a brand new basketball. The magical brooms and mops were busy doing their cleaning routine.

As for the Doctor’s gift, well he’d found the TARDIS resting comfortably just outside the front doorstep. 

Eventually, Carter descended the stairs in a pair of Reeboks, blue jeans, a T-shirt, and a hoodie. “Carter,” Sadie stared at her brother in shock. “What – what are you wearing?”

Carter looked somewhat self-conscious as he came down the stairs. “It’s, um, all cotton,” He said. “Okay for magic. Dad would probably think I look like a gangster…”

Sadie laughed with pure delight. “It’s brilliant, Carter! You look almost like a regular teenager! And Dad would think…” She pulled the hood over her brother’s head. “Dad would think you look like an impeccable magician, because that’s what you are. Now, come on. Breakfast is waiting on the patio.”

They were just beginning to eat when Amos came outside, and his change of clothes was even more surprising than Carter’s. He wore a crisp new chocolate-coloured suit with matching coat and fedora. His shoes were shined, his round glasses polished, his hair freshly braided with amber beads.

“What?” He demanded once he noticed the eyes on him.

“Nothing.” Sadie and Carter said quickly in unison.

Sadie glanced at the boys and mouthed  _ ‘O-M-G,  _ then went back to her meal.

Amos joined them at the table. He flicked his fingers and coffee magically filled his cup. The Doctor raised an eyebrow. He’d not used magic since the Demon Days.

“I thought I’d go away for a while,” He announced. “To the First Nome.”

“You sure?” The Doctor asked, “Think they’ll accept you?”

Amos sipped his coffee, staring across the East River, mulling over the decision he'd undoubtedly already thought about in depth. “They have the best magic healers there. They will not turn away a petitioner seeking aid – even me. I think…I think I should try.”

His voice was fragile, like it would break at any moment. But it was the most he’d said in weeks.

The Doctor nodded thoughtfully. “Right then.”

“Well I think that’s brilliant,” Sadie said. “The three of us, we’ll watch this place, won’t we?”

“Yeah,” Carter said. “Absolutely.”

The Doctor didn’t respond.

“I may be gone for a while,” Amos said. “Treat this as your home. It is your home.” He hesitated, as if choosing his next words carefully. “And I think, perhaps, you should start recruiting. There are many children around the world with the blood of the pharaohs. Most do not know what they are. What you said in Washington – about rediscovering the path of the gods – it may be our only chance.”

Sadie got up and kissed Amos on the forehead. “Leave it to us, Uncle. I’ve got a plan.”

“That,” Carter said, “Sounds like very bad news.”

Amos managed a smile. He squeezed Sadie’s hand, then got up and ruffled Carter’s hair as he headed inside.

Sadie picked at her scrambled eggs. “I suppose it would be selfish to ask for more.”

The Doctor laughed, “Don’t ask the gods for more. They might just give it to you.”

There was a long uncomfortable silence. When the Doctor looked up from his eggs, he could see Carter watching him sadly.

“You never answered Sadie.”

“What?”

“When she promised Amos we’d watch over this place.” His gaze dropped down to his pancakes. “You’re not staying, are you?”

“The TARDIS is a time machine, remember?” The Doctor said. “I can return in time for yesterday.” He hesitated. “But you don’t want to come with me. Not anymore.”

The siblings looked almost ashamed. “It’s just…We’ve got work to do around here.”

The Doctor nodded. “Course, course.”

“We’re really sorry, Doctor,” Sadie said.

“Don’t worry about it.” The Doctor tried for a reassuring smile. “Might find it difficult to travel, though.”

“Two unaccompanied minors without a chaperone,” Sadie agreed, “And I don’t think Khufu counts.”

“No chance we can get our hands on your psychic paper, is there?” Carter asked.

Before the Doctor had a chance to respond, the gods completed their gift.

A voice from the doorway said, “Sounds like you have a job opening.”

There, leaning against the doorframe in a leopard-spotted jumpsuit, was a dark-haired woman with golden eyes and two very large knives.

“Bast!” Sadie cried.

The cat goddess gave them a playful smile, as if she had all kinds of trouble in mind. “Someone call for a chaperone?”

The Doctor slipped out the front door whilst Sadie and Carter reunited with Bast. He’d just opened the TARDIS doors when the three of them came rushing over. “You’ll come back, won’t you?” Sadie begged once she reached him.

“Course I will,” The Doctor said. “Not that easy to get rid of me.”

“But, soon, right?” Carter asked. “Not like, in twenty years or anything?”

“One week,” The Doctor said, “I’ll be back in a week.

“Promise?” Sadie asked.

The Doctor smiled, “Promise.”

Oops.


End file.
